Falling under
by MewMewCheshire
Summary: Ib remembers things most when she's drawing him. The Forgotten Portrait. But what is it that she so desperately needs to remember? A trip back to the gallery she fought so hard to escape brings it all back. Now the 17 year-old Ib sets out to accomplish what the 9 year-old version of herself couldn't.
1. A little Less Than Normal

The sensation of floating...

Everything spiraling horribly out of control...

the lines of reality blur...

A single rose...

In exchange for another...

Time stops.

The tragedy repeats...

Once more... I'm falling under...

Chapter One : A Little Less Than Normal

I really did mean to draw something else... But it seems whenever I sketch without thought, I draw Him.

The sleeping one. He's a painting at Guertena's gallery. The Forgotten portrait.

In a word? He's beautiful. His tangled lilac hair cascades so it's covering one eye. The detail of the painting is remarkable...

_Oh well. It can't be helped _I thought. _Too late to draw something else._

It's strange. I feel as if I'm about to remember something whenever I draw him... Like I should remember him...

In my picture his eyes are open, smiling blissfully at a rose. Since I had extra time, I decided to color certain parts of my sketch. His now violet eyes stared brightly at me, as if to say 'Nice to see you again'. "Okay Class! Finish up your sketches so we can start painting tomorrow. Put them in the back when you're done. Pack things up in ten!" our teacher, Mrs. Karin called. "Oh, and don't forget that our trip to the gallery is a week from today. Be sure to remember to arrive here a little earlier than usual."

I was putting the finishing touches on his rose when four people from another table, three girls and a boy, wandered into my deserted work area.

"Hey look it's the monster girl."

"So, what'd the little witch draw?"

"Aw, is it her boyfriend?"

"_Pff! _As if! Who the hell would wanna date the little faggot?"

"You know? Something not right with this picture... He should have ugly monster eyes just like you!"

The boy grabbed a red marker off of the table and proceeded to inking in my portrait's already violet eyes. I snatched my sketch before the marker made contact. I was shaking with anger. I felt sort of compelled to protect the man in the picture from harm. On top of that, there was no way I was going to let this group of idiots defile my picture. "Don't touch him." My tone carried a steely edge.

"Aw, she's protecting her little picture from looking ugly just like her!"

"Too bad nothing you draw will ever look good!" They all laughed.

I grit my teeth, but otherwise stay silent. They continue to laugh. I avert my eyes to avoid their evil glares. Then I notice the hanging paint rack in the back of the room was vibrating. It stopped so suddenly I almost considered I imagined it, but then three red paint tubes and a glass jar full of black paint exploded. Several students screamed and backed away to avoid the mess. Red and black paint dripped onto the floor and walls, but more importantly onto four specific sketches. All the other pictures in the back of the room remained spotless.

"Aw, what the...?"

"S-shit! My sketch! "

"Oh my god. Mine too!"

"What the hell?!"

Strange... how only their works had been damaged, but I couldn't help smiling. As they fussed over what to do over their ruined sketches, I turned back to my own. _Sorry, they didn't damage you or anything right? _I thought. Naturally I had to create a voice for my portrait.

_No... But they certainly got what they deserved! Jerks..._

I gave the mental equivalent of a laugh. I glanced at the clock. One more minuet.

Sighing I got up to put my picture at the back counter with the rest of them. I glanced down once more at the canvas. He now stared forlornly at me. I stared back sadly. _I'll come back tomorrow. I'll finish painting you then._

_"Don't leave me..."_ A voice filled with such longing and desperation entered my mind. It was so soft I assumed I imagined it.

I gave one last look at him before I turned to leave. _Tomorrow _I thought as I turned to leave.


	2. Disappear

Chapter 2: Disappear

I was walking back to the dorm not really paying attention to my surroundings when to voluptuous bottle blonds caught sight of me. I recognized them from my morning classes.

"Hey monster girl." I leaned back when the stench of alcohol hit my face.

"I saw you with Subaru." The girl leaned forward to sneer at me. I backed up some more. Who's Subaru? The only boy iI was with recently was...

The boy with the maker...

"Just a note you little whore. He's mine." They both started to advance. "I don't care if he loves some other…." She looked for the right word. "Person."

I sighed. "Look I don't have time for this. I have four essays and a boatload of math to do." I looked them over. It was obvious they wanted to be noticed with the way they displayed themselves "Yeah. So I'm just gonna leave – "

"I saw you with him!" I flinched at her sudden outburst. "He's MINE! I don't care if he cheated on me" the blond with shorter hair tried to console her drunk friend but she pushed her away. "If he cheated on me with you so help me I'll kill you! I'LL KILL YOU!" Crap! Now my back was against the wall…

"I'm better than you! If you disappear then no one will miss you. You're just a little freak! DIE! DIE! DIE!"

Okay this is really bad. She pulled out a pocket knife.

"H-hey, we came here to blow off steam… I think we should go back to the– " The other one protested.

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! SHUT UP! She needs to disappear!"

I was looking for an alternate route when i got this strange feeling... like this situation was familiar... being cornered with a knife...

My train of thought broke when I hear the shuffling of feet.

I've been in my fair share of tough spots.. but how was I suppose to get out of this one?


	3. Breaking Glass

**A/N Omi god! Yay, first follower! Thank you! You just made my day. I made myself sit down and actually write this. Enjoy. Leave comments subscribe and all that other stuff!**

Chapter 3 : Breaking glass

Alright. How am I gonna fix this one? My back is against the wall and the two harpies from hell are closing in. One's got a knife. I have to admit this does not look good... I looked around for more options.

Then I see him. The man in the Forgotten Portrait. Only his form was reflected in a glass window.

_"Ib!" _His voice was little more than a whisper but it carried a tone of alarm and worry.

His expression hardened from one of shock to one of resolution. Slowly he moved his arms so that they were crossed in front of him, as is he were forming an X. He brought them down fast and hard. The moment he did the glass pane he was reflected in shattered, glass exploding everywhere.

My pursuers both shrieked.

To add to the effect I screamed "Leave me alone!"

Her friend was passed out on the ground. The one with the knife rightened herself. "You're little magic tricks won't scare me!"

I noticed that her hand was shaking. Hesitation. That's all I need. I made a run for it, bolting pass them.

"NO! I won't let you leave! GET BACK HERE!"

"When hell freezes over!" I yelled back.

I ran as fast as I could leaving everything behind until I couldn't run anymore.

**A/N Yeah so I know that my chapters are really short. I'm working on that. So hopefully the next one will be longer.**


	4. Lost

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: Review. Review. Review. Review. Please?**

Chapter 4: Lost

It made the news.

Haley Patterson when crazy about killing some demon temptress who stole her boyfriend. Driven to the point of insanity, she went on a mass killing spree claiming everyone was in line with the demon. She was shot on site for putting too many people in danger. Her friend Gwen Kemper was in the hospital with a concussion. She doesn't remember anything.

I lie wide awake in bed.

Oh. My. God! I really don't have time for this…I didn't do anything yet somehow my fault. I'm losing sleep over it. I grab a book. The collected Works of Guertena. Looking at the art work slowly made me relax.

In the morning I came to a resolution. I would forget. It never happened.

I focused more intently on my work. More so than usual.

So when I got to class I tuned out everything and just painted. Stroke by Stroke. By the end of the week the result was vibrant version of the sleeping man.

"Oh, marvelous job Ib! This is amazing!" I turned to see Mrs. Karin examining my canvas from over my shoulder. "You've been very quiet this week." She smiled. "Well more so than usual. If anything's bothering you don't hesitate to ask me for help!"

She turned back to address the class."Alright, pack things up. Our trip to the gallery is tomorrow. Come early!"I packed my burshes and paints.

I was about halfway down the hall when a boy called my name.

"Curtis." I acknowledged.

"H-hi Ib. Great job on your painting."

"Thank you."

"Y-yeah. Soooo….. I'll be seeing you then." He walked away after that. Strange… He's been hanging around me a lot lately. I turned around to head the opposite direction, but I freeze in place. My eyes widen.

It's him, reflected in one of the vacant classroom windows. He looks the same as he did the other times he's appeared. Pale skin, lilac hair… Only this time his expression was one of frustration. _"You're forgetting me." _His soft voice carried a tone of accusation.

It took me a minute to find my voice. "Y-you're wrong…. I don't know you. How could I forget if I don't know?"

He looked so fragile, his voice only a whisper, _"I'm loosing you."_ A splintering sound shattered the silence that formed. The window cracked into vein like segments shattering the reflection.

I stood there for a moment in shock. When I could feel my legs again I started to head back to the dorm.


	5. Return

**A/N : REVIEW Please? :3**

**Just a note people. Ib is 17. It's in the summary.  
**

Chapter 5: Return

Today's Tuesday.

The day of our trip to the gallery.

I was excited for a number of reasons. Paintings don't look nearly as glorious in books as they do in real life. This was my chance to see my favorite paintings.

But there is another reason.

I want answers.

The Forgotten Portrait is a painting in Guertena's gallery right? I should be able to find some answers in there. Like why does he appear at random? What does he want me to remember? Who is he to me?

We boarded the bus and headed to the gallery at about 9.

I turned to look out the window. We were speeding down the highway, landscape blurred as we raced by.

"Uh... S'cuse me... Ib?" I looked up. It was Curtis.

"Can I sit here? With you?" He blushed an even deeper shade of red than my eyes. "If no one's sitting here I mean."

"It's not taken."He looked like a kid did on Christmas. His sandy blond hair fell in his face as he shuffled into the seat next to mine.

.

.

...

"Alright class. Meet back at the reception desk in three hours. Till then enjoy!" Mrs. Karin shooed us off in different directions.

I wandered through different sections not quite remembering which one the Forgotten Portrait was in. The whole time Curtis walked with me, prattling on about his classes.

"Hey Curtis? What do you know about the Forgotten Portrait?" I interrupted him.

He stopped in mid sentence. "Well not much I suppose , since little is known. What do is that the Forgotten Portrait has baffled historians for years. He wears almost modern clothing which is strange considering Guertena's time period, and the date of which it was painted has never been discovered." He thought for a moment. "I wonder why it's called the forgotten Portrait."

"I think it was the person who was forgotten. In the pictures I've seen he seems rather sad in all of them."

"That's interesting. We'll probably find out more when we see it."

I nodded.

We continued to wander until we reached a long hallway. A large painting covered most of the wall.

_"The Fabricated World." _I read out loud. The lights flickered.

"Hey Curtis what's this painting suppose to be abou–" I looked around. Curtis was gone.

"Probably went to the bathroom..." I muttered to myself. I looked at the Fabricated World again and noticed that there was blue paint smeared at the bottom of the frame near the title. I leaned closer to read it.

_"Welcome Back Ib. Come back and play again." _I jerked back. How'd my name get there? I quickened my pace to get to a new section.

I stopped when I felt something squishy underneath my foot. Fruit? How'd that get there? There was a painting of a bowl of fruit directly above it.

_ Could it have... No way! Paintings don't move! _I looked over at the picture next to the bowl of fruit.

"The Lady in Red." Holy crap! I could have sworn it blinked at me. I started running, trying to find an exit.

I made it to the reception desk. The lights flicked off.

"Electric problem..." I muttered. I headed for the door and grabbed the long brass handle. _It's locked_ I though. The door won't budge.

Maybe I can try one of the windows. It looks unlocked, but it won't open... I stepped back from the window.

Red liquid streamed down the window pane. jeez... Not even the receptions desk is safe.

I turn to face the gallery. Well I could explore a little more...


	6. Down the Rabbit Hole Once More

**A/N: For those of you who are wondering why I've posted so many chapters in like three days, it's cuz I have absolutely nothing to do. Wait. Let me take that back. I have and English project due VERY soon. Horary for Procrastination! Plus my chapters are SHORT. I'm working on that…**

Chapter 6 : Down the Rabbit Hole Once More.

I wandered aimlessly through the gallery. Occasionally a painting would cough at me or in one case meow at me as I walked by.

.

.

"Abyss of the Deep"

I noticed that the painting was moving. I leaned down and felt it. It was liquid smooth. Almost like water. Before I could step back, a hand reached from the murky deep dragging me in as it receded.

.

I opened my eyes. I was in a hallway. Now what?

.

I started down one end of the hallway. Finding nothing useful, I backtracked and headed the opposite direction.

.

Okay… fifteen minuets at least of pointless wandering. I still hadn't reached the end. I considered taking a short break when I saw Him. This time he wasn't reflected in glass, he was on a canvas. This was his painting.

The Forgotten Portrait.

I finally found him…

Slowly, I made my way until I stood in front of the painting, taking my time to breathe in every detail. He's just like the pictures in books, only his glory was amplified by a thousand. He's slumped against a wall, his lip pursed in…..surprise? And his eyes are open.

Wait, that can't be right. They're suppose to be closed. That's why he's called the sleeping man(on occasion) But they weren't. Through his tangled waves of lilac hair one visible violet eye stared at me. Waves of sadness coursed through me. Why do I feel like this?

* * *

_She stared at me with confusion. She looks so much like…. No. impossible she escaped. Plus this girl is too old to be her. Maybe her older sister? She looked at me like she was meeting a stranger for the first time. Ib wouldn't forget me would she? I looked at her profound red eyes. They were the same as when I last gazed into them. It seems like centuries…. This was undoubtedly her. _

_"Ib…?"_

* * *

_"Ib?"_ His voice was quiet as if he wasn't quite sure of my name.

I shook my head "Who are you?"

He looked heartbroken. Devastatingly crushed. "You forgot?" He whispered.

I looked down to avert my gaze from his sadden stare, "You asked me that already. How could I forget if I never met you?" He just stared at me.

"Can you help me get out of here?"

He shook his head, looking down. "You already fell in. I don't know what happened but I hope you remember soon. Or you won't last long." Silence formed between us.

He jerked his head up suddenly, his eyes widening. "Looks like I ran out of time." He smiled sadly. "Let's meet again…." His frame seemed to be dissolving into the wall, vanishing without a trace.

I placed my hand on the wall were the frame once hung. _I better get going if I want to get out of here soon…_

* * *

_I_ _could feel myself fading…"Looks like I ran out of time."I tried smiling. "Let's meet again…."_

_I closed my eyes and when I opened them I was surrounded by sheer darkness. But I wasn't alone. It was him._

_He smiled. "Looks like it's my turn…"_

**A/N: Yeah…. So I know that if you really did return to the gallery, the Forgotten Portrait would be like the first painting you'd see when you walk upstairs. But what's the fun in that? Ib wants answers. There's no suspense if I let her find them right a way.(Laughs) Uh, I'm such a sadistic writer…**


	7. Memories of a Nightmare

**A/N: Right. So I know that the first hallway in the game is actually a lot shorter than I make it to be... But again whats the fun in that?**

Chapter 7: Memories of a Nightmare

After my run-in with the Forgotten Portrait I continued down the excessively long hallway. After a few moments I hit a wall. (not literally of course) _Finally. _I thought. I turned to see a vase on top of a table. There was a crimson rose inside of the vase. Slowly I reached out to take it. When my fingers closed around the stem, searing pain burned it's way into my head.

Memories.

Of a past nightmare.

.

.

The sensation of floating...

.

.

Everything spiraling horribly out of control...

the lines of reality blur...

Pain...

.

.

A single rose...

In exchange for another...

Loss...

Fire...

.

Time stops.

Garry.

.

I remember...

Oh. My. God! How could I forget?! I left him here! That's why he was so upset when I said I didn't remember him. He's waited here for eight fricken years...

I felt the seeping feeling of resolution creep through my veins. I had my memories now. The puzzles should be easy. I'll find him and bring him back. I pushed the table aside to get to the door, which I knew contained a key.

I pushed the door open and grabbed the blue key on the floor.

"THIEF! " My head whipped around at the loud shriek.

_"THEEEEEEEIIIIIIIIIFFFFFFFFFF FF!" _the painting on the back wall crawled towards me.

Oh, boy.

I raced to the door and frantically fumbled with the lock. Once I was out I slammed the door it's face.

"That did NOT happen the last time I was here." I panted.

"So... once again we me here in this gallery..." That voice! I lifted gaze up.

"G-Garry?"

"Hello Ib." He smiled at me.


	8. Seiran Master of Illusions

Chapter 8: Seiran Master of Illusions

He was standing a few yards from where I was. But… he didn't give off the same aura as the Forgotten Portrait…

His clothes were slightly different and his eyes were….. distinctly yellow.

I backed away. "You're not Him."

He paused, as if he wasn't sure how to respond.

He smiled slowly. "No. I guess I'm not."

He waved his hand over his hair. A fiery orange color spread across, replacing the lilac.

"I seriously thought that was gonna work. You're smarter than I originally thought."

I backed away. "Who are you? Are you a painting by Guertena?"

His smile faltered. "No… I'm not by Guertena." He paused. "Would you believe me if I said I was a visitor too?"

"No."

He frowned. "Why not?"

"You just changed your hair color by simply waving your hand! That's something a normal person can't do. Unbelievable."

"I've been here a long time. Would it be too hard to believe that I picked up a few tricks?"

I wasn't ready to trust him yet. "You masqueraded as my friend. You seriously expect be to believe anything you say after that?" Then a new thought hit me. "Wait, how do you know Garry?"

"I met the Forgotten Portrait a while back. He mentioned he was with someone else. You're a very special person to him Ib."

I blushed slightly. "How do you know my name?'

"H-he… uh…. calls out for you a lot…" It was faint but there was a distance scarlet creeping across his cheeks. Why would he…?

"Well you know my name. How 'bout yours?"

His smile returned. "I thought you'd never ask." Bowing with a flourish he said:

"I am Seiran. Master of illusions."


	9. Fearless

**A/N: Review people, seriously! I only have two and one of them doesn't count because it's from a friend. Anyways enjoy~!**

Chapter 9: Fearless

I walked into what I had concluded was the green hallway. Seiran was trailing behind me, hands behind his head whistling. Somehow he had come to the conclusion to accompanying me on my quest to save Garry.

.

.

"Beware of Edges"

"Huh? What kind of message is that?" Seiran said, nonchalant like always. He walked around the pillar to proceed down the hallway.

I remember this warning… Something was suppose to…

"Seiran! Stop!" I grabbed the sleeve of his coat and yanked on it as hard as I could. He toppled backwards just as a black clawed hand shot out of the wall, right where he had been standing moments before. Shaking, Seiran got up off the floor. "Damn… I guess I don't know the gallery as well as I thought…"

I sighed pointing at the sign. "Beware of Edges. Don't walk near the walls. Stand in the middle."

"Y-yeah… Sure." He seemed a little scared to proceed again.

"Fine. I'll go. You sit here. You don't have to come anyways." I walked down the hall, black claws shot out at me from both walls, but I never strayed from the middle.

* * *

_Damn. This girl has nerves of steel! She walked down the hallway with black claws shooting out at her like she was simply taking a walk in the park. She didn't even flinch when one popped out inches in front of her face. I can see why he's taken such a liking to the little lady…_

* * *

I grabbed the ant painting (Which I had noticed had been restored) and walked back to where Seiran was waiting.

"What's that for?" He gestured to the painting.

"We'll be needing this."

I walked down the hall to another door. _This room seems to be the same._ I thought. I laid the canvas down over the chasm creating a bridge. I walked along the boarders to avoid stepping on the ant. Seiran, however was not as careful. Once he checked that it could hold his weight he walked on the canvas without avoiding the ant, smushing it. We proceeded down another hall, towards another door. Carefully I opened it. In the room there was a headless statue with a green key at its feet.

I paused remembering this situation. "Seiran, you know how the doors automatically slam shut immediately after you step through them?"

"Yeah. Your point?" he prompted

"I need you to hold the door open. Can you do that?"

"Sure."

I approached the headless statue and snatched the key at its feet. It jerked to life, just like I remembered.

"Seiran! Now open the door!" Silence. I didn't have a lot of time.

"Seiran?" I turned around.

"Sorry Ib." He gave a sly smile before stepping out of the room, leaving me with the statue. The door slammed shut, locking as it did. The statue, meanwhile, appeared to be stretching, rightening its joints.

"Seiran!" I yanked at the doorknob, pounding on the door. A dark shadow fell over me. I turned to see the statue preparing to deliver a right hook. I ducked under its arm, its fist made contact with a wall punching a hole in it. It came after me again and again, swinging its fists. I managed to doge each one. Every now and again it would hit a wall shattering the portion or at least creating a hole in it.

Brute strength.

That gave me and idea...

I lead the statue over to the door by dogging and moving towards it, until I was standing right where I needed to be. It swung once more. I ducked at the last second. Its fist made contact with the door, blowing it off its hinges. Yes! I bolted through the rubble and down the hall.

* * *

_There were loud booms and crashes coming from the room._ What on earth is that thing trying to do?! Wreck the whole gallery? _There was a deafening crash and the sound of debris falling directly behind me. "Aw Shit..." I turned to see that the statue had obliterated the door, blown it clear to the other wall. Before I could even move Ib was off and running, tearing past me with surprising speed. Not far behind was the statue. _

Oh...Not good.I'd better get going. _I took off after Ib. she was already over and across the ant painting. _

Shit, shit, shit! _The statue was gaining ground; soon it was running side by side with me. Before either of us could do anything, there was a loud tearing noise. _

_We were both standing on the ant painting._

_We were too heavy._

_I felt the fabric give away..._

_I tried jumping to the other side, but the statue had grabbed onto my leg. I was hanging on the edge by a few fingers. _God this thing is heavy! _I swung my leg out hard several times, forcing the statue off. _

_Crap I could feel my grip slipping._

_Just as my grasp gave away a small slender hand shot out to seize mine. Ib? She's trying to help me up... But why?_

_._

_I don't know how, but she managed to drag me out of the chasm. We were both on the floor panting. _

_I looked up. "Ib? Why did help me– "_

_Slap!_

_"Owww~! What the hell was that for?!"_

_"Shut up! Don't ever pull a stunt like that again!" She was on the verge of tears. "You idiot! You almost got us both killed!" She cried. Streams of tears flowed from her crimson eyes._

_"Ib..." Hesitant at first, I slowly put my arms around her. Just like that, I held her in my arms. She was shaking, her breath ragged with sobs. _

_"..."_

_"Ib? I... I-I'm sorry..." _

_For the first time I realized that I really was._


	10. Crystal Clear

**A/N: **** Right. So Seiran's more of a comic relief in this chapter. Enjoy~!  
**

**Review! Please? o o**

Chapter 10 : Crystal Clear

I don't know how long we stayed like that. Locked in his embrace. It could have been minutes. It could have been hours. Sobs racked through my body. I let the sorrow that I had accumulated through the years flow into my tears. My parent's deaths, the abuse other people put me through, remembering Garry and how he was left behind.

Me.

Being able to do nothing about any of this.

Seiran.

He tried to do away with me right? Why did I save him? I had no idea.

.

.

"Ib? We gotta get going." He gently patted my head.

I sniffled, "Kay."

.

We walked in silence, down the green hall with the black claws. I looked over at Seiran. He looked as if was deep in thought.

He really did look like Garry, his features were a little bit more angular but he had the same tall figure. His hair was longer. It came down to his shoulders and was now tied in a ponytail. He looked over at me catching my stare. He opened his mouth and closed it, like he wanted to say something but didn't know how. After a few more times I stopped walking. "What? Spit it out already. You look like a fish." He bit his lip but was otherwise silent. I sighed and started to walk again.

"Why'd you save me?" he asked suddenly. Whoa... that was a straight pitch... But his expression was so serious and confused I burst out laughing.

"What?" He asked defensively.

"N-nothing. To tell you the truth, I don't know why. I'm sure you had your reasons. I'm not going to hold that against you." We had reached the door. I unlocked it and stepped in, holding the door open so Seiran could follow. The walls surrounding us formed the shape of a cat, with two doors on opposite sides. There was a fish shaped hole against the north wall.

I decided to go to the left door first. I cautiously opened it, Seiran followed behind. This room was filled with pillars. Two rows of four... eight altogether. Each one had a red curtain covering the middle.

To my right there was a poster of a black stick figure. There was paint under it. "Play hide and seek? " The poster vanished, disappearing into the wall. A button appeared under each of the pillar's curtain. Great. How do I solve this one?

"What's this?"

No! "Seiran, don't touch anything till we've–"

_AAAAAIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEEEEE!_

Too late. He had already pushed the button in front of him. The curtain pulled up to reveal...

.

A woman in the shower.

Slap!

The woman's hand shot out of the painting and slapped him, swinging the curtain close in the process.

"_Oww! _What the hell is it with girls and slapping?" He was blushing a fierce red. I see he got a good view...I sighed.

We walked around the room several times before trying to make a decision.

.

.

"I think it's this one. He said.

I shrugged. "You picked it. You push the button."

He gave me a pointing look before he poked the button.

A sword came out and slashed at him.

"Shit! How come I take all the damage?! OW_, ow, Ow~!"_

It's true the only button I pushed was one that turned off the lights for a couple of minutes. I sighed. I've been doing that a lot lately. "Fine I'll do the next one."

I picked a random pillar we hadn't visited yet. It appeared to be a glass bottle with a pale liquid in it.

It was titled "The mermaid elixir".

"Well?"

I shook my head. "Nothing."

"Aw, screw it!" He pushed another random button.

"Found me. You get prize." It was the poster.

I stifled another wave of laughter. Seiran looked like he wanted to cry. "About damn time!"

Thud!

The sound came from the front of the room. I walked over to see that a wooden fish head had fallen from a painting called "Chief's Talent". I picked it up tucking it under my arm.

"Let's go. This is all we need here."

Seiran was more than happy to leave and tromped along after me.

I looked over at him again and noticed that he was awkwardly cradling his arm. "Hey Ib–" I cut off his sentence by grabbing his uninjured arm. "You're hurt. We need to get you to a vase walked over to the door to the right pulling him with me. "I-Ib... I'm fine."

I ignored him. There were aisles of art supplies cluttering the room. Statues, paint, the works.

Where was... There it is! In the midst of all the equipment there was a grey vase.

I pointed at the vase. "There. You have a rose right? If you really are a visitor then you should have one.

Grudgingly he stuffed his hand in his pocket and dropped it in the vase. My eyes widen. His rose! It was crystal clear, almost like glass... Tentatively I reached out and touched a petal it was smooth and soft just like a real rose.

"Why doesn't your rose have any pigment?"

Seiran shrugged. "Dunno." He reached around me to pluck his newly replenished rose from the vase.

"Hmm... We should probably check this room to see if there's anything useful."

"Alright."

We explored the room, each of us checking boxes on opposite side. I was opening another box when the lights flicked off.

"_Hwaaa~! _Ah... the lights." Seiran shuffled around. "I-Ib? You there?"

"I'm not."

"What are you saying... Of course you're there..."

I smiled remembering that quote from Garry. A few moments later the lights flicked on.

I heard a sigh of relief from Seiran. "Oh, at first I thought they weren't gonna come back on... Where are you? I can't see you with all this stuff in the wa– "

_SCRAPE! _

A loud grating noise came from my left.

SCRAPE!

It was getting closer.

"Ib?" Seiran was now standing in the same isle as me. Slowly he walked over to where I was. He pointed to the entrance to the other aisle. _"I'm going to investigate,"_ he mouthed.

SCRAPE!

Wait... I've done this before too right?

There was a...

That was suppose to...

I yanked back hard on Seiran's sleeve sending him backwards once more just as one of the statues in the room tipped over and crashed, right where he was leaning over only seconds before.

Seiran got up and brushed himself off, glaring at me, "God damn it, Ib! Would tell me before I do something horribly stupid instead of tugging me back at the last second!"

His expression was hilarious. I couldn't help it. I had another giggling fit. His frown deepened. "I'm serious! You tell me stuff _way_ too late."

"Sorry." I gasped out. "Sure, I got my memories back, but there a little fuzzy. Things aren't always clear till they happen."

"_Hmf_." He started muttering something that sounded a lot like, _"She's doing it on purpose..."_

I reached in to the shattered remains of the statue and grabbed what appeared to be a wooden fish tail. I combined the head with the tail to create a wooden fish. So that's what the hole in the wall is for...

"Come on." I called over to Seiran, who was still fuming in his little corner. "I know what to do with this." I waved the fish.

Once we were both in the cat shaped room, I proceeded to the hole in the wall. I inserted the fish. Almost immediately the floors and wall started shaking and the north wall collapsed to create a hallway. Seiran looked over at me. "Shall we?"

"After you."


	11. Captivate

**A/N: Yeah so here's where thing get a little dicey... Up till now I've been pretty consistent as far as the actual layout of the rooms go... But now I'm gonna change the order to suit the purpose of my story line. Just a little heads up. I'll eventually go through all the rooms. **

**I own nothing.**

**Have fun! Leave comments. Enjoy~!**

Chapter 11 : Captivate

We walked into a wide red room with another door opposite to the one we just entered. There were a few paintings and two large statues, but other than that, it was fairly empty.

"Okay now what, Ib? You remembering anything?" Seiran looked over at me.

"Yeah. There's suppose to be a key here. I... just don't remember where..." So much for the puzzles being easy...

We searched the room for anything that looked remotely like a key.

.

.

"Anything?"

'Nope."

"Hmm..." Seiran looked around the room for the eighth time. "Wait...We didn't check over here yet..." He walked over to a corner on the right side of the room. There was a painting.

"The lady in Red." He read the title out loud. He stared for a moment but never flicked his gaze up to look at the painting. He turned around. "There's nothing here. You sure there's a key?" He started to walk back to me.

Crash!

The lady in Red painting had jumped off the wall and was now crawling on the floor.

A phrase popped into my mind. "The women here... like to play loves me loves me not."

"Seiran! Don't let her touch your rose!"

She stopped crawling.

"Seiran? Master is that you?" She whispered.

He turned to look back at her, realization dawning on his face.

"Hey Red." He smiled.

I gaped. "It talked."

"I," She said emphasizing that she was in fact a person, "Can do a lot more than that girlie." She gingerly griped her frame and... stepped out of it. Oh... This was_ soooo_ not happening... Her frame was no more than a blank background. Before me stood a full body version of the Lady in Red. She had a very... curvaceous figure and, like the title says, she was dressed in all red. She stood a good head shorter than Seiran, but then again, Seiran had to be at least six feet something...

I noticed she also looked me over. "_Hmf!_ I remember you. You're the one who ruined my sister's game. She was quite enraged by it too since we hardly get any visitors to play with."

Her sister was... the lady in blue right? And she was playing loves me loves me not with... Garry's rose...

"Master Seiran... Why are you hanging around that little twit? Play with me instead! Remember all the fun we had?" Ugh... She had practically draped herself over Seiran's arm.

He chuckled. "I'd love to Red, but we're on some sorta mission."

She pouted. "What kind of mission?" Translation:_ What could be more important than me?_

"We seek to revive the Forgotten one."

"_Awww~! _But that'll take forever!" I perked up.

"Do you know how to revive him?"

"Of course! It's protocol."

"Oh, please tell me!"

"No." Oh, come on. I was so close to finding out what I needed to know.

"Please?"

"No, no, no, no~!" She sang.

Seiran move her so that he had his hands placed on her shoulders. "Red." He said sternly."The faster Ib finishes her task, the faster we can play. Tell her what she needs to know."

She had a dreamy looked of ecstasy. "Only because you asked master..."

She turned to glowered at me. "Listen up because I'm only going to say this once."

She began to recite, "To revive what has been lost, it's not hard to do. Talk to the bride and groom and listen well too. The gallery has a secret from which it must hide. But beware, not all painting are on your side. The elixir can only revive, it cannot change. It shows what the true inner soul is like."

"Who's the bride and groom?" I asked, my mind drawing a blank.

"Dunno." I could tell that she really didn't, and she was happy about that. She turned back to Seiran. Practically throwing herself at him, that seductive smile playing at her lips, "So what do you want to do first? I don't want to go back to the grey room and share you with all the other Ladies..."  
He smiled.

"Disgusting..." I walked around them to pick up the red key that had fallen off the back of Red's frame. I walked over to the door and unlocked it.

"H-hey Ib. Wait for me." Seiran struggled to free himself from Red's cuddling.

I ignored him and entered the next room. It was a library, each section was labeled alphabetically. A few moment's he followed me, followed by a string of complaints. _"Oh, don't leave me again! So soon? Stay and play! Wait, are you going in there? Master don't go! Curse these doors!" _I rolled my eyes.

"Ib."

I turned around. Seiran had his hands in his pockets, a sheepish expression on his face.

There was scratching and pawing coming from the other side of the door. "I think someone wants your company." I said with a smirk. His face reddened ever so slightly.

"Whatever. I got a quest to finish." I turned to leave. Seiran followed me.

We stepped into another red hallway. This was... the place where I met Garry. A barricade of lost memories flashed in my mind.

"What are you thinking about?" Seiran asked me.

"Nothing much. Why?" We'd stopped walking.

"You had a very straight expression; I just wanted to know why."

I sighed. "This is the place where I first met Garry."

"Oh..."

"It's not a bad memory. I'd gotten his rose back from the lady in blue and healed it. We sorta teemed up after that." I looked over at him. He was staring at me. "What?"

He shook his head. "It's nothing I thought that you...Never mind."

"Okay..."


	12. Discovered

**A/N: Right, so not only am I screwing with the order of the rooms, I'm also messing with the layout. Reviews. Don't forget! Enjoy, rate subscribe!**

Chapter 11 : Discovered

_Okay. This is it. There's no way I'm gonna loose again. My life on the line here..._

_"Ready?"_

_"Yep."_

_"Alright. One...Two...Three!" _

_..._

_You've gotta be kidding..._

_"Yay! I won again!"Ib cheered. Rock beats scissors..._

_"Damn it..."_

_ Right so we started this thing where whenever we came across a door, we'd play this game called rock, paper, scissors, and the loser of that had to open the door. _

_Man I lost like seven times in a row... I sighed._

* * *

Seiran sighed. Like one of those really sad long sighs. He looked at the door like it was his mortal enemy.

"Do you want me to open it?" I asked.

"No..." Okay, that was a total lie.

I stared at him for a moment, and then reached around him to open the door. I poked my head in.

"Anything?"

I frowned. "Nope, it's just a hallway."

We've been to several different areas, but hadn't found what Red called the bride and groom. One of those areas was the grey room, which was, well what do ya know? The sanctuary of the ladies. They were practically throwing themselves at him; all fourteen of them. I don't know how he managed to pry himself free... "Right, so let's breeze through this so we can continue searching."

The hallway seems to split in two separate paths. "I think we should stick together."

"Agreed."

We wandered for a little bit, not really finding anything useful, when Seiran spotted a pair of hands coming out of the ground. They weren't like the claws in the green room, more like waiting hands...

I walked over to one and read aloud the title, "Sorrowful Bride's Left hand..."

"This one says, "Sorrowful Bride's Right Hand," called Seiran. But I wasn't paying attention...

Because there on the wall was the bride and groom painting. They could tell me the answers I so desperately needed...


	13. Promise Ring

**A/N: Thanks to all my new followers! You guys made my day.**

**Ah... It feels like I haven't updated in forever... But then again I post a new chapter like what? Almost every day? (*Laughs*) Sorry my chapters aren't that long... Does the constant updating make up for that? : 3**

**Anywho rate, subscribe, enjoy~!**

Chapter 12 : Promise Ring

"Seiran... I think I found the bride and groom..."

He looked up from his inspection of the Sorrowful Bride hands and walked over to me.

Surprisingly the Bride shifted her position as he walked closer. She looked down to peer at the both of us. "Oh, dear me! I've seen you before haven't I?" She was pointing at me.

"Mhmm." I answered. "Sorry to bother you again but I have a quick question."

"Yes?" She asked with a smile.

"Um...A ...painting told us you could help us revive a wilted rose."

"Oh, that's easy! You stick it in a vase of course! The clear glass ones let you heal as many times as you want, but be carful of the grey ones because you can only use them once–"

"Thanks for the advice, but that's not what I meant. I mean a rose that has already died."

"Oh, that. Sure I know how~!" Jeez this painting sure is chipper considering the title is the Grieving Bride...

"Great." Seiran looked at the Bride expectantly.

"Oh, but before I tell you can you do me one small favor? I seem to have lost my wedding ring again... Would you be so kind as to find it?"

"Sure..." Oh, boy. We really needed another task...

.

Right. So I remember some things for this little chore, like where the ring was... But the only problem is it's in a secret room that only appears after we...

"Flip a switch?"

"Yes."

"In this maze?"

"Yep."

"With the headless statues?"

"Uh-huh."

Seiran looked like he just been told he was sentenced to death.

"It's not that bad once you go in."

"But you said there were headless statues wandering around in there!"

"Only three."

"Still..."

" Don't be such a pansy. Suck it up."

He took a deep breath and opened the door. Slowly we walked in.

"See? Not so bad." He just nodded. "Alright Seiran, here's what I want you to: lead the statues to the top right corner. Can you do that?" He nodded again. "Don't you dare bail on me again. Seriously. I'll light you on fire in your sleep." He turned paper white.

"Okay..." He gulped.

I waited for a few minutes before proceeding to where the switch was suppose to be.

.

"Hey! Ib! Why do I have to be the bait?! Damn it, come back and switch places!" I smirked. Now he notices?

.

I wander around for a bit looking for familiar landmarks.

_Do you like mazes? _A sign read.

No I don't!

.

.

Right... another right...left... I made the final turn and came across a dead end. I sighed. Good the switch was were it was before, south of the red paint.

I felt the wall for… a small switch. I flicked my finger up.

…..

There was a deep rumbling sound coming from outside.

Alright! Yeah, now we can get out of here….

I was about half way out when I bumped into Seiran. I mean that quite literally. He jerked back like I had electrocuted him, quickly moving into a defensive stance. I looked at him weirdly. "_Sheesh. _It's just me."He relaxed his pose.

"Oh gods! I thought you were one of them. Man those things are fast!"

"Speaking of which… you're friends seem to have caught up."

He whipped around. "Shit. This way, Ib!" He grabbed my hand and dragged me in the opposite direction.

"Gah, not this way…" There was a headless statue blocking that path too. He dragged me down the south path.

"Wait… hug the right! You'll reach the end eventually." I recalled a sign that said something like that… Seiran nodded and slowly shuffled us to the right side of the maze. We hit a straight path and continued down that until we reached the end of the maze.

.

.

"Ugh… NEVER again." Seiran looked over at me. "I think I shaved several years off my life."

I laughed. "Yeah, but look over there. That room wasn't there before." On a separate wall from the maze room there was a new door.

.

.

"Behind the big tree huh?"

"Yeah."

"This looks nothing like a tree."

I sighed and began searching the tree for the ring. A few moments later the lights went out.

"You gotta be kidding me..."

"That's suppose to happen. Or…at least it did last time." I flipped back a few more branches.

"Seriously. Someone needs to get the lights fixed." I looked through the leaves and a glimmer caught my eye. I reached out towards it and my fingers encountered a small smooth object. I closed my hand and pulled back. "Got it. We can go now." He was muttering something about trying to find a reliable electrician as we left. We made our way back to the Grieving Bride.

"Oh, my! You found it!"

"Yeah. So now what?" Seiran asked.

"Um, we have to put it on your left hand right?"

"That's right little lady~!"

I took the ring from Seiran who had wanted too take a closer look at it and placed it on the Sorrowful bride's left ring finger. She smiled happily. The Grieving Bride was once again blessed. She called over to the Groom. "Honey I got it back again~!"

The groom looked apologetic. "Thank you."

"No problem." I smiled.

"Ahem." Seiran coughed.

"Oh right. You promised to tell us how to heal a fallen rose."

"So I did, so I did." The Bride cleared her throat before starting. "The true challenge has yet to come, should you chose to accept the test. Journey to the liar's room and take the liars' quest."

"That's it?"

"Yep~!" The bride smiled. "Oh, and the thing you're looking for is called the Mermaid elixir."

"That's it?" Seiran repeated. "All that and we get another challenge…"

"You should be use to it by now." I laughed without humor. We still had a long way to go… I sighed. "Well let's get going."

After all time waits for no one… But then again there is no time in the gallery…


	14. The Liar's Room

**A/N: So... This is a bit longer... (*Laughs*) Um... okay not really...**

**Rate, subscribe, and REVIEW!**

Chapter 14: The Liar's Room.

"Oh_,_ wait!" The bride called out just as we turned to leave. "You're going to need this to pass to the next room." She thrust her hands out and tossed her bouquet of flowers out of her painting and into my hands.

"I wish you the best of luck~!" She sang. I nodded.

"Stay safe," said the groom.

"Thanks." I called back.

I led both of us down and around another corner. "It should be here..." I muttered to myself.

"So, what are the flowers for?" Seiran looked at the bouquet in my hands .

"You'll find out soon enough..."

At the end of this hall there was a canvas. It had two large, empty eyes and a wide mouth with rows of razor sharp teeth. As we approached, the painting seemed to sense we were there.

When we stopped in front of the canvas it said in a raspy voice,"Heh...Heh...I like flowers. If you give your flower I'll let you pass..." Oh, he means our roses. I guess I'll just give it to him...

"Yeah right." I shoved the bouquet into its mouth, which it ate happily I might add. "That was delicious... I'll let you pass now..." The face seemed to fade away. Soon it was only a black canvas, but that too faded away, leaving a doorway.

Seiran poked his head in. "Cool. This is a door?"I snickered. He threw me a look. "I wonder where this one goes..."

As it turned out this door led to a small corridor with another door. That led to...

Another hallway.

There seems to be a lot of those...

The hallway split. One ran right; the other kept going straight. There was a sign marking the one going right.

"Beware of Lips"

"Okay. I'm not gonna ask..." Seiran said.

"We can't go there yet anyway. Keep going straight." Seiran was walking a few steps in front of me when we passed a plaque.

"Just When You've Forgotten..."

"Oh, right..." I tugged on Seiran's sleeve, he stopped walking immediately. He was taking the whole warning thing really seriously. "Walk in the middle." He looked at me for a second, then seemed to decide that it was best to listen to me. He nodded then moved.

Near the end of the hall, a black clawed hand, like the ones in the green room, shot out only a few inches away from us. Seiran flinched hard muttering something like _"I knew something like that was going to happen..."_

The hallway split both ways horizontally. We stopped walking.

"Let's go right."

"_Hmm..._ No... That door needs a password... I can't remember what was down the other hall. Let's go left." Seiran shrugged and we started to go left.

_This hallway is rather long..._ I noted.

"Ib?" I turned to glance at Seiran, who appeared to be thinking hard about something.

"Yes?"

"Why...Are you trying so hard?" I stared at him with confusion. "I-I mean to revive him... You know most of the area puzzles; you remember how dangerous this place is... So why take on all of these extra quests? Why... go though all that trouble...?"

I though for a bit. To tell you the truth... I never really thought about it... It just seemed like the right thing to do.

Garry.

He's done so much for me. Weather it was saving my rose from Mary, or just being there to cheer me up after a nightmare... He was there from the time I met him, helping through this twisted gallery, never asking for anything in return. And what do I do to repay him?

I leave him.

I forgot.

That we were ever here.

All the time we spent together...

About him...

_"You never were good with these kinds of situations... The only thing you ever do is run away, dropping your troubles onto whoever's nearest..." _

Mother. You sure had away with words... Even if you were painfully blunt...

I shook her voice from my mind and turned back to the present to answer Seiran's question. "It's the least I can do to repay all the kindness he's shown me, as cliché-ish as it might sound. I want to help him as much as possible; as if to say thanks for all the things he's done for me. And...I know he'd do the same thing for me if the roles were switched..."

* * *

_She smiled sheepishly at me, as if to say_ "Does that answer your question?" _I sighed._

_All things considered, she's really dedicated... It's amazing to think that she'd do that much to repay a debt... He'd do the same, huh? _

_I closed my eyes. "You're... You're really something... You know that?" _

_I opened my eyes to glance at her, but she had stopped walking. We had reached the end of the hall and now stood in front of a door... That was clearly labeled..._

"The liars Room"


	15. Uneasiness

**A/N: Yay! Reviews~! Thanks to the people who bothered to write one. **

**Yeah...so this chapter isn't long at all... Sorry. I'll post the actual quest solving chapter probably tomorrow.**

**Rate, Subscribe, Review~!**

Chapter 15: Uneasiness

We found it... The Liar's Room.

I stood there, staring at the door.

Hesitantly, with a shaking hand, I reached out to grasp the doorknob.

But... I couldn't bring myself to open it...

What if...What wait's behind this door...Is a task that's impossible to complete? Or a quest that questions my not-so-reliable memory? Would I be able to answer questions about my previous journey here? This task might even request...

That I sacrifice my own rose.

Could I do that? Would I give my life to save his?

Yes.

I didn't know why, but somehow I knew that if it came down to that, I would.

If I had to relive that choice over and over again... I'd never take it back...

Seiran. As if sensing my inner turmoil, he put his hand over mine. He smiled.

"Let's go." He said in a soft voice.

I don't know why, but his simple gesture made me feel all warm and fuzzy, washing away most of the fear and uncertainty. It seemed to say, _"You're not alone." _

_I'm not alone._

I smiled. _I'm not alone._

Together we opened the door.

.

.

The room was wide and rectangular. It was pretty much empty other than the portraits of eight different women, and another door on the opposite wall.

"Now what Ib?" Seiran ran a hand through his fiery orange hair, as if to say, _because I have no idea what to do... _

I surveyed the room, panic suddenly building up... I explored the whole room the last time I was here... There was nothing related to the task at hand... Unless I just don't remember it... Maybe I missed something... But, I don't think that's the case... "No, no, no, no... This isn't right..." I muttered. I walked around the room.

"What? What's not right?" Seiran followed my brusque march.

"It's the same."

"Um...what is?"

"The room!" I gasped. The answer came from my own statement. "The room..."I sped up my pacing; Seiran struggled to keep up without running.

Maybe there was an alternate Liar's Room...

Maybe this room was for the puzzle down the other side of the hall...And there was an alternate room for the Liar's Quest...

I stopped walking. I had stopped so abruptly Seiran crashed into me.

"_Sheesh! _Warn me next time..." I ignored him.

I tuned to face the paintings. In a loud voice I called, "I wish to take the Liar's Quest!"

.

Silence.

A few moments later Seiran spoke, "Was something suppose to happen? Because I don't think it'd be that easy just to–" His sentence was cut off.

Because something did happen. In that instant the ground started to shake. Tremors rocked the ground and shook the walls. Both of us were knocked to the floor. Seiran threw a protective arm over me, as if to make sure I wouldn't fly off anywhere. But I couldn't go anywhere even if I was able to. The ground was shaking so hard, I doubt either of us could even stand on our feet. A loud grinding sound resonated and echoed around us. I curled up from under Seiran and shut my eyes.

It felt like hours, though the quake probably lasted only a few minutes. Even when it did stop, neither of us could move. When my own shaking stopped I pushed off Seiran's arm and sat up. I gasped.

This was a completely different room.


	16. Odd one out

**A/N: RAWR. I was playing the game last night and found a typo in my fanfic... There's only suppose to be six portraits in the Liars Room. I'm too lazy to change it so it'll probably stay eight (Unless it annoys me so much that I change it - _- ) But if I mention how many paintings there are in the room it'll say six.**

**Warning! This contains HUGE game spoilers! I recommend seeing a walkthrough or playing the game first before you read this.**

Chapter 16: Odd one out

The same six portraits hung against to back wall (*Laughs* The first thing I decide to mention in this chapter is how many paintings...) but this time, instead of one door there were seven. One between each portrait and one on the right wall. Each door seemed to be labeled, and each portrait had a caption.

"This... Looks a lot harder than the original room..." Seiran commented. "What should we do now?"

"Check all the doors. There may be a clue in one of them that might help us solve this..."

All the doors were locked except the door to the right, but when we opened it there was only a statue in the middle of a tiled floor. The statue was holding a plaque:

"There's an odd one out"

"There's nothing else... Was that a helpful clue?"

"If I remember correctly, only one of them tells the truth... Only one out of six... This didn't tell me anything I didn't already know..."We headed back to the main room.

"Let's start by gathering all the information we can in this room." I suggested.

One by one Seiran and I read all the plaques and captions and met back in the middle.

.

Starting from left to right this is what we found:

Portrait in Green: Stand in front of the statue, go west 3 steps, then south 1 step. That's the answer!

The plaque on the door read: **Loyalty**

Portrait in brown: Stand in front of the statue, go east 4 steps, then north 2 steps. That's the answer!

**Serene**

Portrait in Yellow: The one in white speaks the truth!

**Friendship  
**

Portrait in Blue: The only truth speaker wears green!

**Purity **

Portrait in White: Stand in front of the statue, go east 2 steps then south 2 steps. That's the answer!

**Jealousy **

Portrait in Red: I agree with the on in yellow!

**Love**

.

"Okay. Now what do we have to work with?" I looked up at Seiran who had his brow furrowed deep in thought.

"Three paintings agree with another painting, and three give out directions..." he paused and thought some more before continuing. "Could the statue they mention be the statue in that room?" He pointed to the door to the right.

"Probably..."

"Alright then... Let's try one of their directions and see what that does."

We decided to try the Green portrait's directions and proceeded to the room with the statue.

"Stand in front of the statue, go west 3 steps, then south 1 step." I recited, both of us standing in front of the statue. Seiran frowned. "How big of a step should we take?"

I glanced around the room. The tiled seemed to be organized like a grid... so maybe...

"Let's say one tile is a step."

Seiran went first. He turned to face west, went that direction three tiles, and then down one.

"This is loose..." He bent down to remove a tile at his feet. Once it was completely out of the floor, a thick cloud of gas shot out and collected around Seiran. He jumped back and shoved the tile back in place.

He collapsed to the ground gagging. "Seiran!" I rushed over, kneeling down next to him.

"Ugh...Why does it always gotta be me..." he coughed. I rummaged through his coat pocket till I grasped the stem of his rose. _One, two, three, four... What?! Only four left_? Dead rose petals littered the ground. _Vase...Vase... Oh god! There isn't one on this floor! Are we allowed to back track? Go to a different area? No... that wouldn't work... I haven't seen a glass vase in a while... the only vases we came across were grey, and we already used them... _

_._

_._

I don't know how but I managed to drag the unconscious Seiran out of the statue room and into the one with the paintings. I laid him down so that he was pushed up against the wall. His breath was harsh and labored. Only four petals... You'd be in excruciating pain after loosing anymore than five...

I looked at him sadly. Once again I can't do anything...

I got up and tuned back to face the task at hand. I needed to be extra careful... If I took a hit like, that I don't think I'd even be able to move...

I read all the plaques again to make sure I hadn't missed anything. I noted Seiran's previous comment and noticed something about the captions... The three that agree with someone else...

The blue one agrees with the one in green, who gives you directions... The red one agrees with the one in yellow, who agrees with the one in white. But no one mentions the Portrait in brown. If one portrait agrees with the truth teller, then they are also telling the truth.

Only one tells the truth, then portraits that support another are all lying. Which leaves...

The portrait in brown.

I found my truth teller.


	17. Ib All Alone

**A/N: Reviews. Rate, subscribe.**

Chapter 17: Ib All Alone

I rushed back to the room with the statue and used the coordinates that the Brown portrait gave.

Stand in front of the statue, go east 4 steps, then north 2 steps. I stopped walking.

There was a loose tile. I took a deep breath, and pulled up the tile.

...

No fumes. I looked down; there was an inscription on the back along with a key in the hole left by the tile.

"Guertena's last painting"

Hm? What's suppose to mean?

My mind drew a blank.

_Oh well... it doesn't matter... I have the key._

I opened the door that led back to the room with the paintings.

When I looked back at the north wall I stopped in my tracks. All of the portraits were covered in red paint, and they were holding... knives? Except the second painting... It was completely covered in red paint. This spot... was were the brown portrait was... Did the others kill her because she told the truth?

I sighed. I didn't want to stay in this room any longer than I had to. My gaze flicked to Seiran's ragged state. _He's in no condition to come with me. Looks like I'm on my own. _

I shook my head and turned to unlock the door. Then I remembered...

There was a very big problem. There were six doors.

Which door is the right one?

I closed my eyes and thought for a moment.

_I think... it's the second door. The Portrait in Brown was the truth teller, so maybe the door next to it is the right one..._

I slide the tiny gold key into the second door.

Click.

There was a sound.

Carefully I pushed open the door.

It was pitch black. I stepped into the room further.

Click.

I jumped back in shock. The door had slammed shut. I stood in total darkness. Okay? Now what?

The lights flicked on after a few moments. My vision was blurry due to the sudden change in lighting, but when the images became clear, I gasped.

I was in a room,

surrounded by the creepiest dolls I had ever seen.

There was a path cleared from the door to the north wall, where a blank frame hung. Dolls hung by their necks from the ceiling, as well as covering the floor... All of them had red eyes.

_This is... unnervingly disturbing... _I turned back to the door. I couldn't wait to get out.

I grasp the doorknob and twisted. It wouldn't move. I tried again even harder.

_You got to be kidding me! _It's locked! I jumped back a second time when writing appeared on the door.

"You guessed wrong.

Penalty game.

Who? Who has the key?"

Bell chimes echoed loudly as the lights dimmed...

I shoved the key from the statue room into the lock.

It wouldn't turn.

Seriously? Two different locks for the same door?

A blue hand was now visible in the blank frame...

then an arm...

black curly hair...

_Oh god, oh god, oh god! Where is it? Where is the key?!_ I tore through the dolls, frantically searching for the key that was the difference between life and death.

Blue paint...Pebbles? Bleh. Hair... I looked back at the frame. Half of a face was now visible.

I felt a cold realization creep through me...

I... wasn't going to make it... this isn't like all those other times. Garry's not here to save me. My parents are dead. I have no friends... Heck, not even Seiran can help me now... he's still passed out cold in the Liar's Room...

I'm all alone...

I should have realized.

I could never fit in with everyone else.

I never could do anything to solve my problems before.

What makes this time any different?

I was meant to be alone.

In eternal solitude...

Ib all alone.

Sounds fitting. Doesn't it?


	18. Fighting for You

**A/N: Thanks to the people who left comments. Keep it up!  
**

** Laughs. I like how I just left Seiran passed out in the liar's Room. I felt that Ib had to face this challenge by herself. **

**Sorry this is so short...**

**Enjoy. Leave comments. I own nothing.  
**

Chapter 18: Fighting for You

_"Ib."_

That voice...

_"What's wrong? You look pale..."_

Garry?

_"Oh, you had a nightmare? I'm not surprised... Being exposed to such frightful sights..." _

He smiled. His violet eyes softened, reflecting sympathy.

_"Hey, Ib. Take a look in that coat pocket. It's candy. Feel free to eat it. Let's rest up some more before we leave." _

Lemon candy. It's my favorite type, but I've always feel a bit nostalgic whenever I ate it... I guess now I know why.

This... is a memory from my last visit.

I think he was trying to cheer me up in his own way. But to me, his simple gesture said never give up. Keep trying. Anything is possible if you want it bad enough.

I snapped back to reality, suddenly remembering the task at hand. I pawed my way through the dolls even more frantically than before.

_That's right. I'm not fighting for myself this time. I'm fighting for you. _

_If I give up, then we both loose. Then who will come to save us? No one. We have to rely on our own strength. _

_Even if the odds are stacked against me..._

_Even when all hope is lost..._

_Even when one believes I can... _

_I will fight. _

_I took this quest with the intention of saving you. Everything I've done up till now will be meaningless if I quit._

I looked out pass the pile of torn dolls at my feet.

Then I saw it. It was another doll. Just like the rest. Nothing special. But somehow I knew that was the doll which held the key. When my hands closed around its small frame, I tore open the stomach. A small sliver key clinked to the ground.

The entire figure of a fierce blue doll was visible, now reaching out of the frame.

I snatched up the key, racing back to the door.

The doll was now half way out of the frame.

I fumbled with the lock.

Click.

I threw the door open and stumbled out. It slammed shut behind me.

I collapsed on the floor panting. _It's definantly not that door... _I thought.

_I think I should have paid attention to that clue I got in the statue room... Gurtena's last work... How does that relate to this situation? Why... are all the doors labeled? Is it a password? Some kind of code? _

I searched through my tangled blurry memories.

Gurtena's last work... Was...

Mary.

Was something about her the key to finding the right door?

I checked all the door titles again.

**Loyalty**

**Serene**

**Friendship**

**Purity **

**Jealousy **

**Love**

What did all of these have in common? I asked myself.

They're all adjectives for one... But there was something else...

I sighed. All of this was giving me a really bad headache... I looked down at my rose. Eight petals... Some must have fallen off in the doll room. I stared at its brilliant crimson petals... Garry's is blue, Seiran's rose doesn't have any color. I wonder why my rose is red.

Red roses... mean love right? If the roses represent our hearts, then why would mine be this color? I've never loved anyone... my parents don't really count right? And... I hardly know Garry... The feelings I have can't possibly be love... And there's no one... who loves me either... So then why is my rose red?

I stopped walking, realizing that I was pacing around the room again. I looked up and noticed I stopped at the last door.

**Love**

I laughed without humor. "That's kind of...Stupid..."

I gasped. Oh. It seemed kind of obvious now.

Could the doors be labeled after the meanings of roses? I rushed to check another plaque.

I stopped in front of the fourth door.

**Purity**

My eyes widen. White roses...

Guertena's last work was Mary. Mary's rose was yellow...

And yellow roses mean friendship!

That's it! I ran over to the third door and slide the key into the lock.

Click.


	19. Trial and Error

**A/N: Review, Rate, Subscribe. Enjoy~! **

Chapter 19: Trial and Error

The room was empty. Nothing was in it. No furniture, no paintings...

I don't get it... what's the point of an empty room? I walked in further.

.

.

Jeez... this room is like a hallway... I thought once I reached the wall at the end of the area. I tuned to face the south wall, when writing appeared.

"WRONG ROOM"

Wrong room? I thought that I solved the puzzle...

I felt the ground start to shake.

But... does that mean... another penalty game?

The air seemed to be moving the wrong way...

_Swoosh..._

I jumped back as a guillotine fell from the ceiling, just inches from where I was standing only moments ago.

I felt the air move again, and jumped back a second time as another guillotine crashed to the ground. I looked up to see a whole row of sharp blades lined up above the length of the room.

_Crap! _I took off, running down the hallway towards the door, guillotines falling down barley missing the heels of my feet the whole way.

Thankfully the door was still unlocked. I threw it open and stumbled out, just as another blade crashed to the ground. The door slammed shut.

I collapsed onto the floor, panting, next to the spot were Seiran was.

_What the hell was that? I thought I solved the puzzle..._

_Unless I overlooked something... _

_ No... I think I got the concept right... Maybe not the meaning though... _

Mn... Only seven petals left. I'm starting to feel the pain... I looked at Seiran's rose...

He has even less than I do. I shouldn't be complaining... I picked up the clear rose twirling it in my fingers. _I should take this with me... In case I find a vase._

_._

Yellow Roses.

They mean friendship...

I bit my lip, once again remembering something to late.

They also mean...

jealousy.

"Lousy memory..." I muttered.

Sighing I got up and walked over to the fifth door.

Oh, this better be it...

I slide the key into the lock once more.

.

.

Well this is new...

This room was made out of stone, pieced together like bricks. It was empty, which worried me because of what happened the last time I stepped into a blank room... On the other side of the room there was another door.

Once again the door slammed shut behind me. Writing appeared in the middle.

"Congratulations.

Proceed to the third challenge."

Third challenge? How many are there?

I glanced at the door across the room. I guess that's were I go. But before I could even take two steps, the ground started to shake. I dropped to the floor, covering the back of my neck with my hands. There was a deafening cracking sound that vibrated the ground.

When the swaying stopped I slowly rolled onto the balls of my feet. Jeez... how many earthquakes are we going to have?

I brushed myself off and was about to start walking, but ended up stopping dead in my tracks.

The floor was gone, creating a huge chasm between where I was standing, to the door. A hole that could not be crossed without a bridge...

Maybe...this was an impossible task after all...


	20. Test of Courage

Chapter 20: Test of Courage

I stared into the bottomless chasm that loomed before me.

I paced around the ground that was left on my side of the hole.

What should I do?

There's no clues. No keys. No puzzles.

_How do I solve this?_ I turned to stare at the door from which I came out of. _Did I miss something in the Liar's Room?_ I twisted the door know. It wouldn't budge. Locked in again.

I sat down and asked myself again, _"Now what?"_

_Was I never suppose to make it past the second test? Am I suppose to sit here till I rot? Or go insane and jump off the edge? Now what?_

"Argh!" I threw a loose stone into the chasm out of frustration. It hit the ground with a sharp clatter.

.

Wait... It hit the ground?

I picked up another loose pebble and chucked it over the edge.

No sound.

_That's interesting..._

I grabbed one more pebble. I stood in line with the two doors and threw the stone into the rift.

_Clack!_

Sound...

There's only sound in the middle.

So maybe...

There's a bridge lined up between the two doors...

I looked back down into the dark hole in the floor.

Only on way to find out...

Ugh. I seriously must be insane. I backed up.

I closed my eyes...

And jumped off the edge.


	21. Trial of Greed

**A/N: I Don't think I can update tomorrow, so I'm posting this in advance. One chapter a day is my goal. I'm trying to finish this during break.**

**When I'm in class I tend to drift off and think about what to write... Then I end up writing a chapter or two during that period. My grades are kind of dropping...**

**So I'm gonna finish this ASAP so I can stop worrying about it.**

**Enjoy. Rate. Subscribe. Leave comments.**

Chapter 21: Trial of Greed

Oh.

That wasn't that bad...

I was surprised to know that the drop was only a couple of feet, but the impact was hard enough to knock me off my feet and onto the floor.

The floor... It was a narrow bridge made out of stone... But it was painted black.

As so not to be seen from above.

_Was this testing to see if I'd jump?_

Out of curiosity I picked up a loose stone and dropped it over the side of the bridge.

I watched it drop until I couldn't see it anymore.

No sound.

I couldn't hear it hit the bottom.

Oh, I'd better be careful. I could spend days falling if I slipped...

Carefully I stood up. The bridge was about three feet wide. _That's not too bad. I just need to watch my footing._

.

.

Once I was across I took a small break, and then turned to open the next door.

_I wonder what's behind this one... The sign back on the other side said proceed to the third challenge... Just how many are there? How many more can I survive?_

I sighed. _No use worrying about it now... Too late to turn back now._

I pushed the door open.

.

.

This room had two long tables on opposite sides of the room. Each one had dozens of ceramic bottles, each varying in shape. They were all a pale peach color. There was a door on the north side of the room like usual.

Another sign was engraved in the middle of the floor.

"Take what you need. Nothing out of greed."

_Huh? What am I suppose to do?_

I walked over to the door.

Locked.

What else is new?

I looked around the room. There was a clear glass vase in the corner I hadn't noticed before.

I healed my rose, and then Seiran's. But other than that, nothing but gourds and bottles.

_Is there a puzzle?_

I looked around again, finding nothing new.

I guess not...

I picked up a glass bottle. _What am I suppose to do with all of these?_

I shook it. Something rattled inside. I pulled on the cork cape. It wouldn't budge.

I guess this is the only thing I can do...

I better not get in trouble for this...

I dropped the bottle. It shattered as it hit the floor.

In the midst of the ceramic shards was a glass lily.

Huh. I'm surprised that didn't break. I glanced around the room. Am I suppose to do this to all of them?

I can't unlock the door... So the key must be in one of them.

I picked up another bottle.

_Well I better get started..._


	22. Necessary

**A/N: Haro~! Merry Christmas everyone~!**

**Enjoy. Rate Subscribe. Leave comments. LOTS of comments.**

Chapter 22: Necessary

Okay, this had to be like the hundredth bottle...

There was a small satchel amidst the shards.

I looked around at the broken pile of ceramic shards, then to the pile of stuff I had accumulated. True to my prediction, each bottle contained some sort of object, if not, some sort of surprise.

It was usually a flower made out of glass or metal, or a priceless necklace made out of precious gems. But every now and then there would be a white snake or acid in the vase.

Useless trap really...The snakes left me alone as long as I stayed out of their way, and the acid was harmless unless it came into contact was my rose.

Right. So now what do I have?

Seventeen glass lilies, twenty-one silver irises, fourteen gold tulips, fifteen jeweled necklaces, seven snakes, and one satchel.

I sighed. All of this and I still hadn't found the key. I picked up another bottle.

Shall we continue?

.

.

_Nineteen bottles later. _

I watched as the bottle hit the ground, shattering. Carefully I dug through the shards. Excitement flooded through me when my fingers encountered a smooth object. I withdrew my hand. Yay! I found the key. Now I can leave.

I glanced back at my pile of stuff. _I guess the bag is for me to put all the things I wanted to take with me... _

I picked up the satchel, throwing my rose and Seiran's into it. I felt my pockets for anything else.

_Hm? What's this? _I pulled my hand out. It was the handkerchief I got from mother... I had forgotten that I brought it with me. Old habit...

I put the handkerchief into the bag.

_What else do I need to take?_ I looked at the pile._ I don't really need anything..._

I picked up a glass lily. _But maybe should take one. Just in case I need it for another puzzle. _

I placed the lily into the bag and swung the strap over my shoulder. _This is certainly easier than carrying everything... _

I grabbed the key and headed over to the door. I slide the key into the lock.

_I wonder what kind of challenge the next one is..._

I pushed open the door.


	23. Truth Teller

**A/N: Ah... the lake of fire awaits .This is Ib's greatest challenge.**

**Enjoy. Rate. Subscribe. Leave comments.**

Chapter 23: Truth Teller

This room was wide and long. It seemed almost endless. There was a pedestal a few yards away.

But when I walked in, I was surprised to see the walls lined with torches.

Lit with fire...

"I thought the gallery didn't like fire..." I wondered aloud.

"That is most certainly true."

My eyes snapped up to meet the gaze of two wise green eyes...

That belonged to...

A cat.

It was a black cat with a long slender tail, and was perched atop the pedestal. I was certain that it wasn't there before...

It continued to speak. "Tell me girl, what is one of the fastest ways to destroy a painting?"

I thought. "I guess burning it would come to the mind first..."

"Exactly. So you can see their detestment towards the flame. I am a rare being. I can control it and bend its will to suit mine." It jumped off its perch. "I will be your examiner. Welcome to the final challenge. Should I deem you worthy, you may proceed." It walked around in a circle, looking me over. "This is a trial of truth. Girl. Are you a truth teller?"

"Yes." I said without hesitation.

It smirked. _Can cats smile? _

"Everyone has told a lie at some point in their lives, weather it's lying to hurt another, or lying to protect. Or simply lying to oneself." It narrowed its eyes. "If you really are a truth teller the you should have no problem passing this test."

I gulped. "What do I have to do?"

"Simple. Walk to the other side of this room. During this time I will ask you simple questions. Understood?"

"Yes."

"Then you may proceed. Once you pass the pedestal, the trial will begin."

I flipped open the flap of my bag and took out my rose. I pulled off the satchel and left it by the entrance. _If something happens to me, I don't want to take Seiran down with me. I'd better leave his rose where it's safe._

Slowly I began to walk. I was engulfed by walls of fire the moment I passed the pillar. The flames licked the petals of my rose but it didn't burn. The cat trotted along side me.

"What is your preferred type of paint?" The cat asked.

That's random. "Oil paints. Acrylic paint dries too fast." I answered.

It nodded as if to say _that's true._ "Very well. How many times have you been kissed by someone other than your parents?"

This cat... Is getting way to personal... "Once. That boy was on a dare. His friends thought he'd be cursed if he kissed me."The cat snickered. I glared at it, flushing at my lack of romantic life.

Then the cat was serious, proceeding to asking me the next question. "Why did you leave without the forgotten one?"

I tensed. "I thought he was dead."

Silence.

I stopped walking. I looked over at the cat, who had also stopped. Its smile had returned.

"Liar."


	24. Ember Flames

Chapter 24: Ember Flames

Pain.

It consumed me.

My world was on fire.

I let out a blood curdling shriek. No matter how much pain I'm in, I have to make it past this….

Staggering, I continued to walk.

The cat made a tisk-ing noise. "I'll ask again. Why did you leave without the forgotten one?"

"I…. Didn't know he could be revived…." I choked out.

It looked at me for a moment. "You're not lying… but you're not telling the whole truth either. Avoiding the question are we?" It continued to stare.

Another two petals fell, burnt to a crisp. Seven more…. I could barely stand, let alone walk. But I pushed onward.

"This could all be avoided if you answered honestly. Why did you leave without him?" the cat stared intently.

"I-I… was scared… I didn't know what to do. I thought I at least… had to get out… When he couldn't." I whispered. "I honestly… thought he would appear to me again and say something like…_Sorry for worrying you. Let's find the exit together…._ But he never came back…" I felt my eyes moisten. The tears evaporated as they fell.

The cat was silent for a moment before continuing. "Why did you burn Mary's painting?"

"She would have killed me…. If I didn't.. Ah!" I let out another scream. I stared down at my hands. They were bloody and blistered.

"Liar. Why did you burn her painting?"

"She…. Killed Garry….. I wanted her to pay… for what she did… I had no right to take her life. It was all blind rage…"I moaned.

"Why do you want to revive the forgotten one?"

"I want to repay… the debt that I owe him…."

Silence.

"Liar."

I collapsed. I couldn't walk anymore.

Pain.

It blurred my vision.

More petals fell.

Six left…

I gasped for air.

The cat knelt down next to me. "Why do you want to revive him?" It asked calmly.

"He's the only person… who cared about me… Other than my parents I didn't have anyone to worry about me. I don't… want to lose that precious friend…" I stared at my rose.

Two petals left.

"Why do you keep everyone at a distance?"

"I don't…. They do… They alienate me…"

"Liar."

I couldn't even scream anymore.

One petal left.

"I'm afraid…" I whispered. "Friends betray you. Loved one's leave you…. I can't deal with that pain…" My vision was going black.

The last thing I saw was those wise green eyes. The cat mouthed something but I only caught the end of it.

_ "...Sleep..."_

I smiled weakly. That... sounds nice right now...

Nothingness…


	25. Dark

**A/N: Rate. Subscribe. Leave comments.**

Chapter 25: Dark

_Mmm… this feels nice…_

I was surrounded by a field of wildflowers. Blue sky… white clouds…the breeze…

"I haven't had quest taker in centuries." My gaze flicked over to the black cat who was now seated next to me. The quest… Then memories ofthe events flooded my mind.

I shifted my gaze to my hands. They were healed. The nails were round and healthy. My rose lay in my lap, fully replenished.

"You healed me?"

"You healed yourself. Your heart wished it to be." It flicked its tail.

"Are you a painting by Guertena?"

"Yes."

"Thought so."

The cat looked amused. "Tell me girl, what painting do you think I am?"

"Well there was this cat painting on the second floor of the gallery. Was that yours?"

"Yes. And what was the title of this painting?"

"Um…_Your dark figure_."

"Correct. I am the reflection of what most people have in their hearts, personified and given life in the gallery." It looked thoughtful. "This test was to make you realize your fears. I am to help you confront them. As I had said before, everyone has told a lie at some point in their lives. As long as you can admit to them you would pass. Make no mistake it gave me no pleasure to see you burn."

"I see." I scratched him on the side of his face, running my free hand through his soft black fur. He purred happily.

"Though you have had more than your fair share of tragedies, you have a kind heart, of this much I am sure."

I gave a very unlady-like snort. "How would you know?"

It blinked. "In the trial of Greed you had gold, silver, and even diamonds, yet you chose not to take any. Instead you left that room with a single glass lily, thinking that you might need it for a future task. If that is not proof enough, these eyes have peered deep within your soul. It is the purest one I have seen in any trial."

"Thank you."

"On that note. Would you please stop referring to me as 'the black cat". I have a title. I suggest you call me by it." It huffed.

"Um… sorry, Your Dark Figure." That's certainly a mouthful…

"Please, call me Dark."

I nodded. Dark looked up at the sky.

"It is time to go back. Continue with you quest." Dark dropped a small glass vile into my hands. "Claim your prize with this. I wish you the best of luck. May your convictions succeed."

And with that, the horizon, the fields, everything began to fade…

.

.

When I opened my eyes, I was on the other side of the room. The torches now blazed with white fire. Dark was nowhere in sight.

I stood in front of a door. I grasped the handle and turned. It was unlocked. I pushed the door open. white light flooded my eyes...


	26. Fountain of Youth

**A/N: Rate, subscribe, review.**

Chapter 26: Fountain of Youth

There was nothing in this room except for a fountain. And in this fountain was….

A mermaid.

Well at least I know where the name came from…

I approached her. She was combing her ling blond hair with her fingers; her green iridescent tail shimmering in the water.

"Um, excuse me? I'm here to acquire the mermaid elixir…."

She stopped combing. "Oh? So someone was able to pass..." she flicked her tail and continued combing.

I stood there awkwardly shifting from one foot to the other. "So… how do I obtain it?"

"By taking water from my fountain." She examined her nails.

"Okay. May I take some water?"

"No."

I frowned. "Why not?"

"Well what do I get out of it?" She pouted.

"Ah… well what do you want?"

"Well I like flowers…"

Ugh. Not this again.

In addition to my own rose, I also had Seiran's. I bit my lip. Would I sacrifice him for Garry?

No. I don't want to forfeit anyone else…

Then I remembered… The glass lily! The one from the room with all the glass bottles. I pulled it out of my satchel(which I had noted had appeared along with me in front of the door) and offered it to the mermaid.

She looked at it with distain. "I don't want a fake one…"

I bit my lip even harder. "But… this one's much prettier… And it won't wilt. It'll last forever."

She reconsidered. "Well that's true…" She reached out and plucked the flower from my hand.

"Fine go ahead." She waved her hand.

I hurried and filled the vile I got from Dark with water from the fountain. I looked at it happily. With this… I can finally save him…

"Hurry up and get out of here." She glared at me.

I'd love to. But how? I looked around the room. A set of stairs had materialized, spiraling upwards.

That most certainly answers my question...

I walked up the stairs but stopped when my head was a few inches from the ceiling. No door? What do I do now? I pushed upward on the ceiling, surprised when it gave away. Climbing a few more steps, I lifted the top off the floor, and crawled out.

I was... in the statue room... So it was here the whole time? I sighed.

I walked over to the door and pushed it open.


	27. Forgotten Past

**A/N: Rate. Subscribe. REVIEW.**

Chapter 27: Forgotten Past.

"Ib?" Shock and relief flooded his features.

"Sei–" My sentence was cut off when Seiran slammed into me. He hugged me fiercely, his arms encircling my waist in a tight embrace.

"_Ah..._ Nice to see you too..." I patted him awkwardly on the back.

"I was so worried..." He whispered. "The pain... disappeared and I woke up. My rose was gone... and you weren't there..." He sighed. "Ib..."

"S'okay... Sorry." I hugged him back.

I pulled away, and he reluctantly let go. "But ,hey look. Here's your rose." I pulled it out of the satchel, handing it to him.

"Wait... did you... Finish the quest?"

I nodded.

"Then you have it. The Mermaid Elixir?"

I nodded again, giving him a brief recap of what he missed.

"Let's go. I want to find Garry as soon as possible." I grabbed Seiran's hand leading out of the Liar's room.

.

.

"This ...looks safe as hell." Seiran was referring to the mouth. "We're suppose to go through here?"

"Yep." We had finished solving this area's puzzle. Surprisingly the Liar's Room reverted back to the original layout as soon as we had shut the door.

"After you..."

"Nonsense. Ladies first." He gestured for me to continue.

"Since when have you ever cared about manners?"

"Just go!"

"Fine. Fine." I went in first.

.

.

This part of the gallery was labeled.

"Forgotten Past"

Weird...

It was basically a room with other doors. But this part of the gallery didn't give off an eerie wave like some of the other rooms.

"Ib... T-the door's unlocked. Let's go." Seiran was already on the other side of the room.

"I want to look around first." I walked into one room. It was a library. Oh. This is more like it...

.

.

From what I deduced, this section of the gallery was a collection of past visits from other people.

I was about to tell Seiran we could leave when an orange door caught my eye. This color... It's almost the same shade as Seiran's hair. I pushed open the door stepping in. I was about halfway in when I noticed something that made me stop dead in my track.

There was a painting on the back wall, encased in a gold frame.

Underneath was a plaque with the painting's title.

It's name was...

"Seiran"


	28. Fragments of the Heart

**A/N: Yay! So many new reviews~! Thank you to the people who bothered to write one. **

**Yeah... So there's probably gonna be another mass update. Depending on how dedicated I'm felling today. This is by far my favorite chapter. I had a lot of fun writing it. **

**Secrets are revealed. Loyalties are tested. Will Ib still stand by Seiran after this?**

**Rate. Subscribe. Review~! **

Chapter 28: Fragments of the Heart

He was standing under a tree, clutching is clear rose, staring forlornly at the pitch black sky.  
This... is a painting... of Seiran...

...

...O...

...?!

Oh, god! What does that mean? Is this gonna be another situation like the one we had with Mary?

A shaft of light entered from outside as the door cracked open. I heard the shuffling of feet as he entered the room.

"Shit... I-Ib? Are you in here?" His voice was voice was riddled with worry.

* * *

_Damn... I should have insisted we leave. This is bad... I really don't want her to find... _that...

_It should be fine._ _She'll find there's nothing of note in the library and decide to leave. _

_._

_The only problem is..._

_She's not in the library anymore._

_Crap! In all my endless worrying I lost track of her! _

_My wandering gaze zeroed in on a familiar orange door._

_It was open._

_I pushed open the door and hesitantly stepped inside. From bad to worse..._

_ "Shit... I-Ib? Are you in here?" _

_But I didn't have to ask. _

_Because there she was. Those bottomless red eyes that seem to peer right into my soulless self. _

_Staring at me with the same mistrust and caution as when we first met. Only this time her gaze was twisted with hurt and rage. _

_"You're definitely not a visitor." She harshly stated. "And I was just about ready to believe it..." _

_I... didn't really have a reply to that one, so I stayed silent._

_She continued. "What? No more lies to tell me? God... This gallery doesn't know when to quit."_

_"Ib..." I can't even look her in the eye anymore..._

_"What? What else did you lie about?" She paused. "You said you've been here for awhile... You're probably something the gallery conjured up to stop me from leaving. No wonder you look like... Garry..."_

_"Ib– " _

_"I save your breath. I don't want to hear it..." I shifted my gaze from the ceiling to the floor... _

_"I... didn't lie about everything... I... had my reasons–"_

_"Oh, I bet you did. Jeez. You probably would have burned to death if you took the liar's test." She managed to glare at me more intensely than she already was._

_"You also said that you weren't painted by Guertena. Yet you have a painting in his gallery. God, this just keeps getting better and better doesn't–"_

_"Ib! Stop." I took a step towards her, but stopped short when she flinched backwards. "I didn't lie about that...I really wasn't painted by Guertena." Silence. No sarcastic retort..._

_This... really can't get any worse... I flicked my gaze to meet hers. _

_She didn't look mad anymore. Just really hurt and confused. Ugh... I think I liked it better when she was yelling at me. She wants an explanation... _

_"I don't really know where to start..." I shifted my weight from one foot to the other._

_"The beginning would be nice."_

_"Right..." How was I suppose to explain this again? I took a deep breath. _

_"The gallery is a place where the will decides all... If you have a strong heart you could accomplish virtually anything. A heart with hope can create miracles... but a heart full of fear and despair... can create monsters..." She looked puzzled as if to say _where is this going?_ "Being confined in this terrifying world... you would start to feel pain and desolation too, right? Haven't you ever wondered why my rose is colorless? It's because I have no heart. No soul. Nothing to reflect the true nature of my spirit off of. I'm just a copy of the original... "_

_" Ib... I am a creation... of the Forgotten Portrait's or... rather... Garry's spirit. I... was born out of the longing and despair in his heart."_

_"At first... I wanted nothing more than to kill you... You were after all an invader in the gallery, journeying back for the second time... he obsessed over you, waiting for the day when you would see him hanging on the wall of the gallery. I didn't understand why... But after my first attempt, you tried to save me. I didn't understand why... But I wanted to know. So I watched you, how you handled these situations... And I discovered that you are brave, kind and just... a wonderful person... I'm so glad to have met you...To have traveled with you..." To have fallen in love with you..._

_ "I...I'm sorry...That I lied... but I...hope you can... forgive me..."_

_But she hadn't heard the last part._

_Because she ran..._

_As fast as she could._

_Out of the room_

_Down the hall..._

_Away from me..._

_God, I'm such an idiot. If... I told her... maybe I would have a chance..._

Ib? I.. I think I like you...


	29. Familiar Light

**A/N: Whoa! Confessions!**

**So... now you know. Seiran is not painted by Guertena, but he's a creation of Garry's heart. He has no real place in the gallery, because he was not painted by Guertena and didn't die while in the gallery. So... he like some kind of wandering nomad... (Laughs)**

**Now that the cat's outta the bag and they have the mermaid elixir... there aren't gonna be too many more chapters... The epic finally is soon to come. **

**Any who... Enjoy rate subscribe REVIEW~! **

Chapter 29: Familiar Light

I'd taken off running… after that's what I do best…

But I don't think I'll ever forget his broken, crushed state as he sank to his knees… and onto the floor as I backed away… towards the door.

I… didn't want to leave him exactly… I just wanted some time to think without being stared down.

As I ran my whole brain was in turmoil. _He's… a creation of Garry's heart? What does that mean…._ The same question repeated over and over….

When I was a good distance away, I ducked into a room leaving the door open.

I sank to the floor panting. I looked around the room. This was another room with nothing in it except for a single panting…

I stifled back a gasp. I stared wide eyed at the canvas.

This… was a picture of a wilting yellow rose…

It was titled "Alone Once Again."

"Hm? Well what do you know? It's you. Never thought I'd see you again. Look at you, you're all grown up!" There was only a soft voice but it was distinctly familiar…

"Mary?"

"Yeppers!"

"I-I thought you burned…" I looked at the floor sadly…

"I did. It's just a little bit of my spirit that remains here in this room."

"….."

"Oh… It's fine… I know I took someone important from you… I've had the time to reflect on what I had done… and for what it's worth… I'm sorry… I really am."

"I…. know…. I don't blame you…." That's not entirely true… I wouldn't be here now if she hadn't killed him…" Well I do but….You just wanted to get out. You did what you felt was best. It wasn't right of me to pass judgment on you like that… I'm sorry too…."

"Too bad was didn't talk this out before… Maybe we could have worked something out…" she mused.

"Yeah…."

"What about you? I thought you left. Why would you want to come back?" There was a pause before the voice continued. "I'm not there to pull people in anymore. And the Fabricated World doesn't appear to just anyone. You had to be looking for it."

I bit my lip. "Well I wanted to bring Garry back with me… I guess I subconsciously looked for it… "

"I thought I destroyed his rose…"

"Yes… But apparently there was an extra task… called the Liar's Quest. And if you pass you can obtain the Mermaid Elixir. It can revive a wilted rose."

"Huh. I didn't know that…."

"Really? Because you were the password to the first part of the quest…"

"Weird…."

"Yeah… the question was 'what was the last work of Guertena's life…' "

"Wow. Yep. That's me." She paused, thinking of what to say next. "Wait… you already have it right?"

"_Mm-hm…"_

"Then… why… are you still here? Go get him."

I bit my lip again. "I ran into a problem…"

"Oh, please explain."

"Up till now I've been traveling with a man by the name of Seiran… He told me he was a visitor. But I found a painting here in one of the rooms… It was a portrait of him… And when I asked him he told me he was a creation of Garry's heart. I… don't know what to do anymore…"

"Follow your heart."

I stared blankly at the painting.

"If you feel you can trust him, then go back to him. It doesn't matter if he's not human; he's still you friend right? Do what you think is right."

She's right… oddly enough I… still felt like I can trust him… even after all of this. Nothing has changed. Not really…

I stood up. "Thank you. For helping me with…. This problem."

I looked away sadly "I'm sorry you can't come with us…"

"It's fine. Hurry up and scat! Someone's waiting for you."

"Right!" I ran over to the door and swung it open. _Better not make him wait any more._

_._

_._

When I reached the door, I was completely out of breath.

I reached down to grasp the knob, but paused. Would he still want to travel with me? I mean I know his big secret… But… you don't know until you try.

I pushed open the door, a little sadden to find that he was in the same position as when I left him.

I walked over and knelt down in front of him.

"Seiran?" He looked up at the sound of his name.

My eyes widened. He looked so lost and hurt. His golden eyes were filled with a deep sadness.

Without thinking I threw my arms around him. "It's okay…"

Hesitantly he returned the hug, embracing me gently, as if he was afraid I would disappear.

"Ib_….Ib_….Ib…" He whispered my name… over and over…

* * *

I felt it…. When she entered the room. Her presence was everything… when did I become so obsessive? When did I realize that…. I liked her? More so than a friend…. When did I fall so deeply in love? Was it when I woke up and found she wasn't there? Was it when she saved me when I tried to take her own life? An action I'll regret for the rest of my horrible soulless existence.

She probably came to yell at me some more… whatever…. I can take it… all of it's true anyway…

She knelt in front of me. "Seiran…" She was so radiant… almost like an illusion… She probably is. The real Ib wouldn't want to come back here… knowing what she does…

I looked up. What happens now? After she leaves me… what am I suppose to do? Wander this god-forsaken world… and watch while she leaves this place with HIM… Damn… This hurts… so much…

If I knew it was gonna be like this I wish we never met…

Wait….That's not true…. I cherish the time we spent together. I don't ever want to forget…

Then her arms were around me….

I was so shocked I couldn't move for a few moments. "It's okay…"

She was here…. Really here…. I knew this was her without a doubt. I'm not this creative… I can't mimic her sweet scent… or her soft touch… or…her melodic voice…

I carefully embraced her like she could shatter or disappear at any moment.

I could have stayed like that forever… this moment… I wish it never had to end. I whispered her name over and over as if it was my life line… the only thing keeping me here.

But always too soon the moment was over. She pulled away. I thought she was going to turn and leave, but she just smiled warmly at me. "Let's go." She held a hand out…

With a shaking grasp of my own I held onto hers.

We left the hallway … of forgotten memories….

Together.


	30. Smiles of Razors

Chapter 30: Smiles of Razors

The walls were black, as well as the ceiling and floor.

As we walked down the corridor, I could feel a breeze… chimes echoing in the wind, making my ears ring. And… is it me or does it smell like crayons?

This… is rather unsettling…

But I wasn't referring to the scenery. I meant the stare that was practically boring holes into my back.

Seiran. I could see that he wasn't going to let me out of his sight….

But… after awhile it got on my nerves. "What? If you got something to say then say it."

He stared at me innocently. "Nothing... I want to make sure you don't go anywhere." I rolled my eyes. Where exactly was I going to wander off to?

As we walked further there was a large sign drawn onto the wall.

– Sketchbook

The sketchbook? I guess that's where we're headed…

Light flooded my vision as we exited the tunnel. We… were in some kind of neighborhood

The sky and the path we were on were all a black obsidian color. The path split like a right angle. One went straight, the other went up.

Lost memories flashed in my mind….

Garry

He was near…

"He's close…" I whispered.

"The forgotten one?"

I nodded. "Let's start…." I pointed to the nearest house. "Looking there."

There was a table with a few chairs lined around it, and several bookshelves in the corner…..

And that was pretty much it. I walked over a shelf. "I'm going to start here. Check the other ones."

Seiran gave a short nod the proceeded to checking the rest of the house.

I browed the shelf, then picked a random book with a blank cover. This looks kinda familiar…

But that just made me more curious. I flipped it open.

"*** by the ***, I *** my finger over her beautiful ***... With her *** she..." I slammed the book shut, blushing a furious red. Um... I finally know what those words are. I looked over to Seiran who was examining the table like it held the secret to life.

Right. So no one saw that….

I shoved the book I was holding back onto the shelf and grabbed a different one. Oh, this just keeps on getting better and better...

Diary of Guertena: "It's said that spirits dwell in objects into which people put their feelings. I've always thought that, if that's true, then the same must be true of artwork. So today, I shall immerse myself in work, so as to impart my own spirit into my creations."

I stopped reading, realization dawning on me.

Oh. I see now… This alternate gallery… must be a creation... of Guertena's heart. His artwork is beautiful… So his new world must have started out like that. But… when people started falling into the fabricated world… they found themselves in a space much different than their own… and it scared them… creating all of the horrors in this place… The worse it got… more monsters were born. This once beautiful place… was now tainted with the things of nightmares…

"Let's go…" I… wanted to get out as soon as possible.

Seiran looked up. I must have had a somber expression, because he quietly led my out without an explanation.

As we left I noticed something outside of the house. The tulip. It was in full bloom…

Wait…. Weren't we suppose to water it… to get the key to the gallery? And then open Pandora's box?

Up till now the whole world seemed to reset itself, all the areas reverting back to the way they were before we came. But now that I noticed it, this part hasn't changed at all since we last left it.

I ran up the second path to confirm my theory, Seiran jogged behind me, not sure where I was going. The trees…. The all bore fruit…. A single apple hung from one tree.

All the trees are suppose to be bare. Until you open Pandora's box.

Garry…..

He's a lot closer than I thought.

I continued running until I was at the heart shaped door at the top of the neighborhood. I gulped. Garry… Should be down the corridor this after this next room. Seiran had caught up by then.

"Ib?" He looked over at the door I was standing in front of. "Is he behind this door?"

"He's reasonably close to it…."

I grasp the knob, hesitating. This was the real test. I took a deep breath, and pushed the door open

.

This was the entrance to Mary's room.

This place…. Really hasn't changed….

I looked around. Seiran wasn't here with me. I ducked my head out the door I came out of. "Seiran?"

He jumped like I had pulled him out of some deep train of thought. "Ah… sorry… But can I wait here?" He looked at me sheepishly. "I'm not sure I want to meet up with _him_ yet…"

I nodded. It's understandable…

I hurried to the edge of the room to the door I knew contained another long corridor.

I pushed the door closed. And checked the satchel. The mermaid elixir was still there. Good. All set to go.

I hurried down the hall with this doofy smirk plastered onto my face.

I was excited. I finally get to see him again….

But… That smile died on my lip the moment I came across the spot where Garry collapsed all those years ago….

He was in the same position I left him in. His shoulders against the wall, hunched over as if he was sleeping. The only thing that was different was that he was surrounded by dozens of smiling blue dolls….

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	31. Doll

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Chapter 31: Doll

They were all piled around him, some sitting in his lap, others just sprawled out around his feet.

What... What is this? Are they here to hurt him? What should I do? In the midst of my worrying something caught my eye.

Through the piles of dolls there was one that looked shockingly familiar. Unlike the rest it wore a white dress. It was sitting on Garry's shoulder.

I jerked back a few steps when it beckoned for me to come closer. Its creepy smile seemed to tip down when I didn't move.

Reluctantly, as if it couldn't bear to be apart from Garry for any longer than necessary, it hopped down from its seat and crawled over to me.

It stopped a few feet away from me, repositioning itself into a sitting position. "You. Are you the one who can heal him?" It's voice sounded like a child's, but distinctly female.

"Yes." I said.

"You have it then? The mermaid's Elixir?" I nodded. It looked relived.

I noticed that this doll looked... rather thin. Like it had a tear and some stuffing came out.

It took a minute but I connected the dots. "Were you the one who had the key during the penalty game?"

"Yes." It pulled at a tear in its dress to show me a slash on its stomach. Stuffing leaked out of the hole.

"Ah... I see..." Uh, okay... I guess I could have been a bit gentler looking for the key. "How come you can talk, but the others can't?"

"I was created first. I'm special."

"Oh." I flicked my gaze back to the heap of dolls. "Why are you all here?"

"Mommy's not here anymore... Things can wander freely. We wanted to keep him safe."

I cringed internally. Right. Mary created these dolls... And I was the one who burnt Mary...

I hope this one doesn't know that– "I know that you're the one who burnt mommy." Crap. Well that answers my question. "But... Mommy made us to play with that man. We were... created for him." It pointed an arm at me. "Revive him. So we can all play like we were suppose to... Help... Help us save him..."

It plunged its arm into the gaping cut in its chest and tore it wider. "H-hey! What are you doing?!" It ripped out its stuffing bit by bit.

"Save him... please...Save him... Save him... Save him..." Handfuls of fluff littered the ground

"Stop that!" I moved closer to it, but that only made it tear itself apart faster.

"Save him... Save him... Save him..." It was so thin, it was practically flat now...

It reached in one final time and pulled out the stalk of a petal-less rose. "Save him..." It held the stem out to me, but then collapsed.

I stared sadly at the doll for a few moments then plucked the stalk from its grasp. "You've been protecting him this whole time... Thank you. Thank you so much... " I noticed the dolls had cleared out to make room for me. I walked back to where Garry still laid in a dream like sleep. Reaching into my bag, I pulled out the mermaid elixir. I uncorked the bottle and placed the stalk into the opening, figuring it was like when you healed normal injuries with a vase. A few moments passed.

Nothing. I started panicking.

But then... I saw a small petal forming. Then a bud. Slowly the rose healed until it was in full bloom, completely restored and healthy.

I smiled. "Garry. It's time to come home..."


	32. Requiem of a Nightmare

**A/N: Just a little side note this is in Garry's POV.**

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Chapter 32: Requiem of a Nightmare

Life is unpredictable...

At times it feels like you're falling...

Sometimes it feels like you're floating...

And at some point in your life it's like you're submerged deep under water...

_You can't breathe..._

_ The pressure is excruciating... _

_ Darkness everywhere... _

And you wait,

until someone rescues you from this torment...

Some people wait their whole lives,

consumed by the fear that they will die alone...

Some people don't find it at all...

But me? I'm one of the lucky ones.

My savior was Ib. Ib Hart.

The girl who journeyed back to this hell in order to save me.

.

.

_"Garry... It's time to come home..." _

_Mmm... _This voice... It sounds familiar...

"Garry..." I felt my fingers twitch, feeling coming back into my once lifeless body.

I opened my eyes.

The first thing I saw was a woman. One who I assumed was in her late teens. Relief dominated her features.

She... looked so familiar... But I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Garry..." she whispered.

Garry... That's my name... Right?

While my brain didn't seem to remember her, my heart did. My arm moved on its own, reaching out to stroke her cheek. She paused for a short moment, unsure of how to act, but then placed her hands over mine holding it there.

"Ib..." I murmured.

And just like that. That two letter word brought it all back.

Memories. Of what seemed like a past life flooded my mind...

I gasped, my eyes widening in shock. "Ib!" And like a knee jerk reaction my arms were around her.

She giggled, and returned the hug.

Her embrace seemed... bigger somehow... "Ib?"

"Yes?" Oh, god... here voice was so sweet and soft... But... It seems deeper than I remembered it. I pulled back and she let go. I looked her over. She was like what I imagined her older sister would looked like. She even wore the same red skirt and white blouse...

What happened to the nine-year-old I traveled with?

"Why... do you look like you're... Seventeen?"

She giggled again. "Because I am."

I gaped at her. What happened? I thought she escaped... Unless she couldn't find the exit.

"What happened?" I demanded. "You didn't get stuck here did you?"

Her expression darkened. "No... I got out."

I stared back blankly. That didn't explain why she looks older.

"I came back."

I blinked slowly. "And why would you want to come back to this hellish hole?"

"Accidently." She added. She sucked in a deep breath. "Garry... I got out but you... You didn't. You've been here for eight years."

I jerked back in shock. All those years I missed... "No... impossible... It only felt like a few hours..."

"Time... doesn't seem to pass in the gallery, so you didn't age a day... But in the real world..."

I shook my head, suddenly remembering why it only felt like a few hours. "Why am I alive?"

"I healed you."

"How? Not that I'm complaining or anything..."

She sighed. "There was an extra task in the liar's room. You can take it to obtain the mermaid elixir."

An extra task? She would do that for me?

I didn't know all the details, but I felt kinda warm and fuzzy...

Knowing the gallery, it was probably some extreme life threatening task... The fact she would even consider it made me happy...

"Ib?"

"Yeah?"

"Thank you..." I looked at the ground flushing. This is the second time she brought me back from the brink of death. When was I ever gonna pay her back?

She smiled. "No problem. Let's go home..." She held a hand out.

I took it, pulling myself off the ground.

I noted that my grasp still engulfed hers.

I smiled. At least some things haven't changed.


	33. Heart and Soul

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Chapter 33: Heart and Soul

"Just take it."

"No."

"Take it."

"Don't wanna."

"Garry..."

He shook his head saying no once again.

I sighed. Garry's an adult right? Well I never heard one whine like he did. "_Sheesh!_ You're so stubborn. She guarded your rose for eight years. The least you can do is take her with you!" I was referring to the blue doll with the white dress.

I held what remained of it in my hands.

Garry looked uneasy. "But..."

"Stop whining. Suck it up. I'll stitch her up then she can stay at your place."

He paled some more. "It's gonna stay at my apartment?" He gulped. "You know... After you stitch it up... It can camp out at your place instead..."

I shook my head. "No. It said it wanted to stay with you."

"It's the least you can do." I repeated.

He stared at me for a moment. "I can't talk you out of this can I?"

I could see he was caving in. "Nope."

"Fine... But you have to carry it until we get out."

I smiled. "No problem." I stowed the doll into my bag.

We headed back down the corridor and back to the door.

"Wait... don't we need the pink key? You know... the one that opens the door in the middle?"

"No... I don't think so... This area didn't seem to change from when we last came... when I unlocked the door maybe it stayed that way."

"Don't know until you try I guess. We can always come back here to look for it if necessary."

As long as that sentence included **we, **I didn't care what we did. I flushed at that thought.

I pushed that idea aside and opened the door.

"Ib! You took so long I was about to come and look for you. I thought...that..." Seiran trailed off when he saw I wasn't alone.

Oh... I sorta forgot about him... A could see a standoff forming between the two men.

"Ah... Garry this is Seiran. I've been traveling with him. He helped me with some of the room puzzles." Alright. Not a total lie... I have been through almost the entire gallery with him, but when it came to the puzzles... He was more of a testing partner... Since he usually acts before he thinks... he triggers traps while I solve the problems... Pulse the 'I'm a creation of your heart' thing seem a little too... sudden to spring on him now.

"Hello..." Some greeting that was. Seiran was practically staring laser beams at Garry.

And Garry's response wasn't much better. "Hi..." But at least he wasn't glaring at him.

Awkward silence.

.

.

Okay. I can't take this anymore! "Um... Let's go..." I tugged on both of their arms, neither of them budging an inch. "Seriously... let's go..." I tugged harder.

I I kept pulling until they both gave in and started walking. I positioned myself in the center as so to make sure no fists went flying.

As I suspected, the pink building was unlocked. The room led to a pitch black corridor of stairs.

"Whoa... It's really dark... Watch your step Ib."

This path lead to... A very familiar place... "This way..." I whispered.

I went up a fight of stairs and down another hall to reach... The fabricated world.

We did it... I was getting out for the second time... I pointed at the frame, willing it to disappear. When it did I spoke. "Through here... Jump into the painting."

"This... This is it..." Garry whispered. "I can go home..."

I smiled at him. "We can go together." We started backing up preparing to jump when I heard a soft whimper. It was Seiran...

"Ib..." He choked my name out. "I can't... I can't go..."

I stared back with wide eyes. He... can't leave. I had forgotten.

The words sunk in... I felt warm tears fill my eyes... I was crying... Again? I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

He may be a painting. A mere copy... but he had as much heart and soul as any real person...

What happens now? Am I suppose to leave him?


	34. The Silent Orchard

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Chapter 34: The Silent Orchard

Come on Ib, think!

"There... Has to be some way." I muttered

I bit my lip. Well maybe we can use what's left of the mermaid elixir... When I revived Garry there was still half a bottle left...

_"The elixir can only revive, it cannot change. It shows what the true inner soul is like" _I recalled Red's words.

Huh. Well I don't think it would work if we just stuck his rose in anyway...

He's... like Mary. I think he needs someone else's rose to escape. He has to take the place of someone else... because he had no place in the world...

No place huh? Well then we'll just have to make one for him.

This is a land of the heart. Anything is possible.

I grinned mischievously. I think I found a loop hole... I turned to Garry who stared back at me with confusion. "Garry... I have a favor to ask..."

* * *

_ "Ib?" I watched as they prepared to leave this world... "I... can't go..."_

_She stared back with shock written into her expression. Sadness filling those crimson eyes. Oh, Ib... Don't look at me like that... _

_"There has to be some way..." She seemed to think for a minute, then finding the solution, called him over to ask for a favor. They whispered for a moment. _

_He jerked back. "Are you sure?"_

_Sure about what? What are they doing?_

_She nodded. They both pulled out their roses."Alright. On one... two... three!" _

_I stared in horror as they both started ripping off petals. "H-hey... What are you doing?"_

_They ignored me._

_One..._

_Two..._

_By three Ib was already on her knees, but she kept pulling off more. He did to. Teeth clenched they stopped when they both had five petals left. Brilliant blues and reds littered the ground. Panting Ib looked at me with an expression taunt with pain. "Seiran... give me your rose..." I wanted to argue... but that look she was shooting me told me not to bother._

_I gulped. Carefully I dug out my rose. 'What... are going... to do?"_

_She snatched the stem out of my hands before I could even finish my sentence. "H-hey..."_

_Swiping a hand along the ground she gathered all the petals that had fallen and let them fall into the bottle that contained the mermaid elixir. _

_"This better work..." She dropped my rose into the vase. _

_Nothing. It laid there a glittering clear color like usual._

_But then... after a few more seconds... the petals began to glow..._

_And one by one... a vibrant deep purple began to spread..._

_My once colorless rose now glowed a brilliant purple..._

_"Oh my god..." I reached out to touch a petal. It seemed even softer and radiant than before... glowing with its own life... I looked at Ib. "How..."_

_"Simple. You needed a rose to get out. Your rose has ten petals. So we split the cost; five petals each. Plus a combination of a few other things."_

_"Other things?" _

_"Yeah... You said that you didn't have a soul. Well that's not true. You're a creation of Garry's heart. He gave up a part of himself to form you. And gradually your part of his heart evolved to create one of your very own." She looked a way sheepishly. "Ah... I don't know if that made any sense..." _

_I shook my head. "No... It did. You said 'things' implying that there's more than that."_

_She smiled hugely. "You should know that one. This is a world where the will rules all. If you have a strong heart anything is possible." I hadn't thought of that concept... _

_We helped Ib off the floor. _

_"Let's go home." I said, smiling down at Ib. At first she just nodded in response, but then she seemed to remember something._

_"Oh! I almost forgot..." She rummaged through her bag and pulled out a white laced handkerchief, embroider with her name. I watched with prying eyes as she tied it around his hand. _

_Blushing she said, "I forgot you once I don't want it to happen again." Nodding he blushed his own shade of scarlet._

_I stared wide eyed. Tugging on her sleeve I asked, "Hey Ib. What about me?"_

_She seemed to think for a moment then unwrapped her red scarf and tied it around my left arm. "There. If I forget again, I'm counting on you guys to make me remember."_

_ I inclined my head then turned back to the fabricated world. _

_One the count of three, all of us jumped into the painting._

_I was surrounded by a blinding white, I felt my hand being ripped away from Ib's._

_My mind cleared..._

_Then went blank._


	35. Okari

Chapter 35: Okari

A white light...

So warm and comforting. Like it was showing me the way home...

to where I truly belonged...

The buzzing of people filled my ears. I could hear Curtis... talking about another one of his classes.

I opened my eyes.

What... was I doing up till now? Past event flicked through my mind.

That's right... I was...

On a field trip. With my class. And... I was so absorbed in all the artwork... I spaced out.

That was it.

But then... why do I feel like I just forgot... something crucially important?

I shook it off. Forget about it. It's probably nothing.

Easier said than done...

So I spent the next few hours wander around the gallery with Curtis. And the whole time, I spent wondering what I was missing.

When I thought about it long and hard, a phrase popped into my mind. "The forgotten portrait"

What's that? Is it a painting? If it is... that Curtis should know about it.

"Hey Curtis... What's the forgotten portrait?"

"Hmm? Dunno... Never head of it. Is it a painting?"

I just shook my head and told him to forget about it.

The intercom came on then. It was Mrs. Karin, paging all of us to go back to the front desk.

But when I started walking, something caught my eye. It was a section of the gallery we hadn't had the time to visit. "Hey Curtis? I'll catch up to you..."

"Wha? H-hey Ib!"

I wasn't listening. With quick steps I took off towards the wide archway.

It was a hallway... This must be the sculpture section... There were dozens of displays out.

But other than that? Nothing really captivated me.

Why am I even here? If I stay any longer I'm going to get left behind.

But... I knew the answer to that one. Something seemed to be pushing me to go further in. I rounded another corner and knew I found what I was looking for.

A giant rose sculpture loomed before me. Its stem twisted in a sharp angle, the brilliant red petals seemed to glow in the florescent lighting. Each thorn...every leaf... every petal... All carefully crafted...

I feel sort of nostalgic when I look at this...

"The Embodiment of Spirit... how ironic that we'd meet here." A quiet male voice mused behind me.

I whirled around and inhaled deeply. This man... He looks familiar... He had lilac hair that cascaded across his face, covering one eye. Clad in tan jeans, an olive green shirt, and a tattered grey coat, this guy... looks way too familiar for my liking. Especially when I'm positive I've never seen him before in my life.

"Ib? What's wrong?" This is getting weirder and weirder... Was it because he knew my name when I didn't know his? Or the fact that he actually looked reasonably concerned?

"Ib?" He moved towards me.

I backed up a bit and he stopped advancing, shock and utter horror crossing his expression.

"You... really did forget..." he whispered.

I shook my head. "I don't know you. How could I forget if I don't know?" Whoa that sounds familiar...

He took a deep breath and pulled a hand out of his pocket. "Here take a look at this..."

I felt the blood drain from my face. My laced handkerchief. The one I got for my birthday... The one embroidered with my name. Why did he have this?

"Where did you get that?" it was my turn to whisper.

His expression softened. "You gave it to me."

I did?

_"I forgot you once I don't want it to happen again."_ My eyes widened in shock.

Images flashed in my mind. A past adventure... In a nightmare...where I made wonderful new friends...

"Garry?" I was shaking.

"Ib?" Surprise flitted across his face.

"I think... remember now..." I let out a shaking breath. Tears clogged my throat.

He smiled. "Don't ever forget."

Then I was in his arms. My knees gave out, we sank to the floor. I cried hard enough to shake both of us.

I was in the only place I felt safe. I was home. Home at last.


	36. Epilogue: Kokoro

**A/N: Last chapter. Thank you for sticking with my story as long as you all did. Thank you to all the people who wrote those wonderful reviews. Double thanks to the people who wrote more than one. You all made my heart turn into a puddle of mush. Special thanks to all of you that decided to follow and favorite my story. Without the support of everyone, this story would likely still be under construction and probably wouldn't be as exciting. Love you all~! ^ ^**

**Enjoy. Rate. Review.**

Epilogue: Kokoro

It's official. Today was my first day of the new term. I'm in my second year of college.

It's been roughly three months since my second voyage to the gallery. After all the horrors I've seen, I'd say I'm doing pretty well. Nightmares don't plague my dreams nearly as often as they did after my first trip. Maybe it's because I gained a sense of closure. Guilt no longer rains my consciousness.

I was waiting at the train station, the wind flying past me as another bullet train flew by.

Garry had promised to take me out to celebrate. He told me to wait here after my classes were over. I sighed. We'd found out that his new apartment was reasonably close to the dorm rooms. I smirked at the new part, remembering Garry's comment. "I've been stuck here for eight years?! That means I haven paid my rent 96 months!"

Garry... It's nice to know that we can see each other often. Like all that work to get him back... paid off. Speaking of my journey to the gallery... I haven't seen or heard from Seiran. Garry hasn't either. I wonder if he got out aright...

My head was full of blissful thoughts of all times I spent in the gallery, both adventures, when a red scarf floated down and landed in my arms. I stared at it, shock dominating my features. This was mine... The one I gave to Seiran... My head snapped up I looked around for that unmistakable orange head.

My eyes met his pirate gold ones. He was standing; arms crossed on the other side of the platform, his flaming hair blowing freely in the breeze.

Eyes smiling he mouthed something. "_Mata ne..."_

A fierce wind followed by another train.

When it cleared he was gone.

I heard running footsteps. Turning around I spotted Garry trotting over to me.

"Sorry... Did I keep you waiting?"

I smiled. "Not at all."

He ruffled his already unruly hair. "What up? You seem really happy."

That only made me grin even bigger. "Nothing..."

_"Oh come on! Tell me. I like to know what makes you happy."_

_"It's nothing!"_

Our conversation seemed to fade into the background after awhile, bringing me back to Seiran. To the person who found his true heart and soul.

"_Mata ne..."_ Let's meet again...

I smiled looking up to the vast endless sky.

Let's meet again.


End file.
